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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
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https://archive.org/details/historiceventsof00worc_1 


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THE  UNRIVALLED  EXPRESS  RIDER 


HISTORIC  EVENTS 

of  IMom^ter 


oyf  '^rief  zJiccount 


Of  Some  of  the  Most  Interesting  Events  Which 
Have  Occurred  in  Worcester  During  the 
Past  Two  Hundred  Years 


BOSTON  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS. 


Issued  by  the  ^ 

ISiortegter  Panfe  $c  ^Erusit  Company 


In  Commemoration  of  the  Two  Hundredth 
Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  the 
Town  of  Worcester 


1922 


Copyright,  1922 

BY  THE 

WORCESTER  BANK  & TRUST  COMPANY 


.’lA/'?  W t 


Compiled,  arranged  and  printed  by  direction  of 
Walton  Advertising  Printing  Company 
Boston,  Mass. 


Introduction 


INASMUCH  as  the  city  will  celebrate  in  1922  the  two  hundredth 
anniversary  of  its  incorporation  as  a town,  it  has  been  thought  ap- 
propriate that  the  third  of  the  annual  historic  brochures  issued  by 
the  Worcester  Bank  & Trust  Company  should  review  some  of  the 
happenings  which  have  stirred  the  people  of  Worcester  with  enthusiasm 
or  held  them  tense  with  joy  or  alarm.  No  attempt  has  been  made  to 
include  all  events,  or  to  arrange  them  in  the  order  of  their  historical 
importance,  but  to  select  those  which  will  best  reflect  the  spirit  of  the 
men  who  have  made  the  city  such  a source  of  pride  to  its  inhabitants. 
How  far  we  have  succeeded,  a perusal  of  these  pages  will  determine. 

Two  hundred  years  ago  the  town  crier  went  through  Main  Street 
knocking  on  each  door  and  calling  the  men  to  the  first  town  meeting. 
Today  the  people  of  Worcester,  whose  homes  and  diverse  industries 
compose  the  second  largest  city  in  Massachusetts,  are  proudly  aware 
of  the  part  they  take  in  the  affairs  of  the  world.  To  recall  some  of 
the  excitements  and  vivid  moments  its  citizens  have  experienced,  is 
to  realize  how  ardent  Worcester’s  growth  has  been,  and  upon  what 
firm  foundations  it  is  built. 

The  first  white  resident  of  Worcester  was  Ephraim  Curtis.  He 
bought  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  with  which  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  had,  in  1664,  rewarded  the  services  of  Ensign 
Thomas  Noyes  of  Sudbury.  None  of  the  Noyes  family,  for  whose  use 
the  gift  was  given,  ever  attempted  to  occupy  it,  but  “the  young  man 
called  Ephraim  Curtis  of  Sudbury”  had  the  courage  to  build  the  only 
home  between  Marlborough  and  Brookfield  on  the  old  Connecticut 
road  and  there,  without  human  companionship,  to  start  farming  some- 
time before  1674. 

Quinsigamond,  as  Worcester  was  first  called  from  the  lake  which  it 
borders,  had  long  been  looked  upon  as  a desirable  place  for  a “new 
plantation.”  It  lay  midway  between  Boston  and  Springfield  and  early 
surveys  had  shown  that  it  was  naturally  adaptable  for  a settlement. 
Since  the  grants  made  to  individuals  in  1656,  1662  and  1664  had  pro- 
duced no  substantial  effect,  the  General  Court  appointed  a Committee 
“to  make  a true  report  whether  the  place  be  capable  of  a village,  and 
what  number  of  families  can  be  there  accomodated.”  This  report 
was  made  in  1668,  but  five  years  elapsed  before  men  began  cutting 
down  trees  to  make  houses,  and  cultivation  was  under  way.  The 
claim  of  Ephraim  Curtis,  whom  the  Committee  found  living  on  the 
place  they  had  designated  as  the  very  center  of  the  town,  was  adjusted 
by  allowing  him  to  keep  the  fifty  acres  “without  the  bounds”  of  the 
eight  square  miles  they  had  marked  out.  Later,  Curtis  was  one  of  the 
best  defenders  the  town  had.  Then  the  Indians  gave  over  their  right 
to  the  “very  good  chestnut  tree  land”  for  twelve  pounds  in  lawful 
New  England  money. 


V 


INTRODUCTION 


The  Indians,  who  lived  at  Pakachoag  and  on  the  eastern  shore  off^ 
Lake  Quinsigamond,  were  mild  and  peaceable,  having  been  preached  i 
to  by  John  Eliot  the  evangelist,  and  some  of  them  could  read  and  write.  | 
But  they  were  not  the  only  ones  to  be  reckoned  with.  King  Philip  ' 
forced  even  these  Praying  Indians  into  warfare  against  their  white  ' 
neighbors,  and  the  little  settlement  did  not  remain  standing  a year,  t 
The  very  Sagamores  who  had  signed  the  deed  of  purchase  burned  the  ' 
houses  after  their  builders  had  fled  to  join  forces  with  those  of  a stronger  1 
garrison. 

The  General  Court’s  Committee,  however,  was  composed  of  men  | 
whose  earnestness  in  making  a success  of  their  undertaking  was  equaled  i 
only  by  their  wisdom  in  planning.  Daniel  Gookin,  Daniel  Henchman,  j 
Thomas  Prentice,  Richard  Beers,  who  was  killed  In  King  Philip’s  War,  ; 
and  John  Wing  were  the  ones  most  responsible  for  Worcester  In  Its  early  | 
days.  I 

In  1684  a few  of  the  first  settlers  and  some  of  the  others  were  Induced  , 
to  return,  and  a petition  to  change  the  name  from  Quinsigamond  to 
\\’orcester  was  made  and  granted.  Descendants  of  Daniel  Gookin 
point  out  that  it  was  he  who  suggested  the  change  In  honor  of  Oliver  ‘ 
Cromwell.  Worcester,  which  means  “war-castle,”  Is  the  city  In  Eng- 
land where  Cromwell  shattered  theforces  of  Charles  II  In  1651.  “Gookin 
was  In  England  In  1650,  and,  from  his  familiarity  with  distressing  con- 
ditions there,  he  could  well  understand  why  the  defeat  of  the  King’s  ! 
forces  in  the  succeeding  year  would  be  regarded  as  a ‘crowning 
mercy.’”  Gookin’s  family  had  had  the  friendship  of  Cromwell,  and  he 
himself  had  been  made  a Promoter  of  the  Colony  in  Jamaica  which  ! 
Cromwell  had  wished  to  found.  Popularly  the  battle  of  Worcester 
was  remembered  by  the  words  of  Hugh  Peters  in  his  speech  to  the 
militiamen  who  fought  in  it:  “When  your  wives  and  children  shall  ask 
you  where  you  have  been  and  what  news,  say  you  were  at  Worcester 
where  England’s  sorrows  began,  and  where  they  are  happily  ended.” 

It  may  have  been,  too,  that  some  other  member  of  the  Committee  or 
one  of  the  settlers  had  personal  recollections  of  the  English  Worcester. 
However,  the  exact  reason  for  bestowing  this  name  is  not  known. 

Again  the  Indians  proved  too  terrifying;  for  the  bloody  happenings 
all  about  Worcester,  In  Queen  Anne’s  War,  caused  the  abandonment 
of  the  mills,  the  fort,  and  the  rude  log  houses  which  had  sprung  up 
“after  the  manner  of  a town.”  DIgory  Sergent  stayed  on  after  every 
one  had  gone,  and  paid  for  his  risk  with  his  life.  His  wife,  also,  was 
killed  by  the  Indians  and  his  children  led  away.  Two  of  them  chose  to 
remain  with  their  captors  all  their  lives. 

In  1713,  a permanent  settlement  was  at  last  begun.  “A  proper 
Committee  to  direct  In  ordering  the  prudentials  of  the  plantation  till 
they  came  to  a full  settlement”  was  made  up  of  Hon.  William  Dudley, 
Lieutenant  Colonel  John  Ballintine,  Colonel  Adam  Winthrop  and 
Captain  Thomas  Howe.  By  1718,  Jonas  Rice,  who  might  well  have 
told  with  pride  of  the  brave  efforts  he  and  his  family  made  during  the 
first  two  years,  when  they  were  the  only  inhabitants,  had  about  him 


VI 


INTRODUCTION 


fifty-eight  farms  and  as  many  as  two  hundred  fellow  pioneers.  The 
first  town  meeting  was  held  September  28,  1722,  and  Worcester  entered 
upon  a period  of  steady  advance  toward  character  and  good  fellowship 
as  well  as  size. 

That  wild  animals  and  destructive  birds  made  great  trouble  for  the 
young  community  is  shown  by  such  notices  as  this  in  the  town  records: 

Voted  that  forty  Shillings  money  be  allowed  & payd  to  Such  of  y'^  Inhab- 
itants of  y^  Town  for  every  woolf  by  them  killed  in  y^  Bounds  of  y®  Town, 
and  that  may  be  Discovered  in  & be  followed  out  of  y^  Town  and  killed  and 
Sixpence  for  Each  Rattle  Snake  killed  at  their  Dens  or  near  y^  Same  & y® 
tails  produced  to  y^  Selectmen  and  burnt. 

Until  1753,  there  is  hardly  a record  of  a town  meeting  which  does 
! not  include: 

Voted  that  Several  Sums  following  be  granted  to  be  payd  to  y^  persons  to 
I whome  y®  Same  is  due — in  Lawfull  money. 

Vizt;  To  Tyrus  Rice  for  7 birds  heads  & one  tail  o o 51-4 

To  Samuel  Andrew  for  9 birds  & one  tail  o o 93-4 

To  Palmer  Golding  for  3 birds  & 2 tails  o o 83-4 

To  John  Chandler  Esq.  for  354  birds  122 

It  may  be  imagined  that  the  stories  of  dangerous  exploits  these  mute 
evidences  called  forth  enlivened  the  grave  lawmakings. 

The  attention  of  the  country  was  turned  to  Worcester  early  in  Revo- 
lutionary times,  by  the  coming  of  Isaiah  Thomas  with  his  printing  press, 
in  order  that  he  might  continue  to  publish  the  Massachusetts  Spy  in  sym- 
pathetic surroundings.  The  town  had  already  taken  a very  positive 
: stand  against  the  Tory  freeholders,  and  Colonel  Timothy  Bigelow  was 
drilling  a company  of  patriots  on  the  Common.  Throughout  the  Revo- 
' lution,  Worcester  took  its  part  in  the  struggle  and  great  was  the  rejoicing 
when  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  first  read  in  New  England 
on  the  porch  of  the  Old  South  Church. 

The  Butman  Riot,  the  formation  of  the  Free  Soil  Party  and  the  Emi- 
gration to  Kansas  were  the  most  thrilling  expressions  the  citizens  of 
Worcester  gave  to  their  intense  feeling  about  slavery.  When  the  Civil 
War  came,  the  Worcester  Light  Infantry  troops  were  part  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Regiment  which  had  to  fight  its  way  through  Baltimore  on  the 
journey  to  Washington  after  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter.  From  a popu- 
lation of  30,000  there  were  3,927  enrollments, 
j In  retrospect,  the  record  of  Worcester  is  an  unusually  gratifying  one 
I to  contemplate.  In  the  town  hall,  in  the  streets  and  homes,  events 
i took  place  which  helped  to  clarify  the  right  side  of  momentous  national 
I questions.  Famous  men  have  been  numbered  among  its  inhabitants. 
I Many  contributions  to  progress  have  been  invented  within  its  bounds, 
j But  no  one  can  read  the  chronicles  of  Worcester’s  development  without 
being  impressed  by  the  vigor  and  versatility  which  have  always  been 
j outstanding  qualities  of  the  city. 

I 

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WORCESTER  IN  1858.  A VIEW  FROM  UNION  HILL 


HISTORIC  EVENTS 
OF  WORCESTER 

PURCHASE  OF  LAND  FROM  THE  INDIANS 
July  13,  1674 

HEN  it  is  recalled  that  tw^enty-four  dollars’  worth 
of  trinkets  bought  the  14,000  acres  in  the  Island  of 
Alanhattan  from  their  aboriginal  possessors,  itwould 
seem  that  twelve  pounds  “in  lawful  New  England 
money”  was  a fair  price  to  pay  for  a plantation 
“eight  miles  square.”  But  Daniel  Gookin,  who 
may  well  be  honored  as  the  father  of  Worcester,  had 
as  much  diplomacy  as  determination.  Moreover,  he 
j regarded  the  Indians  as  his  fellowmen,  and  understood  them  with  a 
[ sympathy  that  was  far  in  advance  of  the  people  of  his  day.  He  was 
\ “betrusted  and  employed  for  the  Civil  government  and  conduct  of 
5 all  the  Indians  in  the  Alassachusetts  Colony  by  order  of  the  General 
Court,”  and  the  Nipmuck  village  near  the  proposed  settlement  on  Lake 
Quinsigamond  contained  the  wigwams  of  over  a hundred  of  the  “Pray- 
ing Indians.”  He  and  John  Eliot,  the  Apostle  to  the  Indians,  had 
visited  them  the  year  before. 

On  July  13,  1674,  Daniel  Gookin  came  to  Pakachoag  Hill,  where  Holy 
Cross  College  now  stands,  bringing  with  him  a carefully-drawn-up  deed 
and  some  cloth  and  two  coats  as  evidences  of  good  faith.  Solomon, 
alias  Woonaskochu,  Sagamore  of  Tataessit,  and  John,  alias  Hoorrawan- 
nonit,  the  Sagamore  of  Pakachoag,  met  him  there,  and  signed  the 
document. 

A copy  of  the  original  deed  is  in  the  Middlesex  County  Registry 
of  Deeds  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  Because  of  its  age,  and 
I its  quaint  phrasing,  it  is  quoted  below  in  full; 

Bee  it  known  to  all  men  by  this  present  writing,  that  Wee,  John, 
alias  Horrawannonit,  or  Quiquonassett,  Sagamore  of  Pakachoge,  and 
Solomon,  alias  Woonaskochu,  Sagamore  of  Tataessit,  together  with 
the  consent  of  our  kindred  and  people,  and  for  and  in  consideration 
of  twelve  pounds  of  lawful  money  of  New  England,  or  the  full  value 


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From  the  original  in  the  Middlesex  Registry  of  Deeds 

THE  DEED  OF  PURCHASE 

By  this  document,  the  Nipmuck  Indians  sold  their  right  to  Quinsigamond  plantation  to 
the  General  Court’s  Committee.  It  is  dated  July  13,  1674,  and  was  subsequently  recorded 
in  the  Middlesex  County  Registry  of  Deeds  at  Cambridge,  Alassachusetts. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


thereof,  in  other  specie,  to  our  content,  within  three  months  after  the 
date  hereof,  well  and  truly  to  be  paid,  and  satisfied,  and  pt.  whereof, 
viz.  two  coats  and  four  yards  of  trading  cloth,  valewed  at  twenty  six 
shill,  wee  do  acknowledge  to  have  received  in  hand,  as  earnest,  of 
Daniel  Gookin  senr.  of  Cambr.  Esqr.  and  of  Daniel  Hinchman,  of 
Boston,  Brewer,  in  behalf  of  themselves  and  Capt.  Thomas  Prentice, 
and  Lt.  Richard  Beers,  and  the  rest  of  the  Genii.  Court’s  Comittee, 
appointed  for  the  management  of  a new  plantation  granted  by  the 
said  Court,  conteyning  eight  miles  square,  of  the  contents  thereof, 
being  to  the  westward  of  Marlborough,  near  Quansiquamond  Ponds, 
and  on  each  side  of  the  Roadway  leading  towards  Connecticott;  Now 
know  ye,  yt  wee,  ye  sd.  Jno.  and  Solomon,  Sagamores  aforesaid,  and 
upon  the  terms  aforesaid,  have  bargained,  sold,  aliened,  enfeeoffed, 
and  confirmed,  unto  ye  sd.  Daniel  Gookin,  Thomas  Prentice,  Daniel 
Hinchman,  Richard  Beers,  and  ye  rest  of  the  people  admitted,  or  to 
be  admitted,  by  ye  sd  comittee  to  be  inhabitants  of  yt  new  plantation, 
and  to  their  heirs,  executors,  admrs,  and  assigns  for  ever,  in  fee  simple, 
all  and  every  pt  of  our  civil  or  natural  right,  in  all  and  singular  the 
broken  up  land  and  woodlands,  woods,  trees,  rivers,  brooks,  ponds, 
swamps,  meadows,  mineralls,  or  any  other  thing,  or  things  whatsoever, 
lying  and  being  within  that  tract  of  land,  conteyning  eight  miles 
square  or  the  contents  thereof,  to  be  layd  out  by  ye  sd  persons  or  their 
order  in  time  convenient.  To  have  and  to  hold  the  premises,  and 
every  pt  thereof,  unto  them  the  sd  Daniel  Gookin,  Thomas  Prentice, 
Daniel  Hinchman,  and  Richard  Beers,  and  all  ye  rest  of  ye  sd  Inhabi- 
tants admitted  or  to  be  admitted  planters  there,  and  unto  ym  and  yr 
heirs  forever,  freely  and  absolutely,  without  any  lett,  molestation,  or 
disturbance,  of  us,  or  any  of  our  kindred  or  people,  or  any  claiming 
by,  from,  or  under  us,  for  evermore,  as  our  heyrs  or  assigns;  and  wee 
do  promise,  upon  the  finishing  ye  payment,  to  make  full  and  ample 
deeds  and  writings  for  the  same,  according  to  law.  In  witness  of  the 
truth  hereof,  wee  ye  said  John  and  Solomon,  alias  Horrowanonitt  and 
Wooannaskochu,  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals,  this  thir- 
teenth day  of  July  1674. 

Solomon,  alias  Woonnasakochu, 
seal  and  mark. 

John,  alias  Hoorrawanwit,  mark 
and  seal. 

Onnamog,  his  mark.  Sagamore  of  Occonomesett. 

Namphow,  his  mark.  Sagamore  of  Wamesett. 

Joseph  Thatcher,  of  Chabanakonchoie,  his  mark. 

Nosannowitt,  his  mark.  Noah  Wiswall,  present. 

Full  payment  rec’d  August  20,  1676.  D.  Gookin. 

This  deed  acknowledged  by  the  Sagamores,  before  Daniel  Gookin, 
Sen.  Assist.  July  13. 

Entered,  9.  2.  83  by  Thomas  Danforth,  R. 

3 


Signed,  Sealed  and  delivered 
in  the  presence  of  us. 


From  a photograph  of  the  original  in  the  Town  Records 


THE  TORY  PROTEST 

The  page  from  the  Town  Records  which  Clark  Chandler,  the  Town  Clerk,  not  only  scratched 
with  his  pen,  but  smudged  with  his  fingers  to  blot  out  words  he  had  written  wdthout  authority. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


THE  TORY  PROTEST  BLOTTED  OUT  OF  THE  TOW'X 

RECORDS 

August  24,  1774 

Two  years  before  the  Fourth  of  July  became  a national  holiday,  the 
Boston  papers  were  full  of  resolutions  passed  in  all  the  colonial  assem- 
blies expressing  resentment  against  the  Boston  Port  Bill.  The  towns  of 
Massachusetts  were  publishing  their  grievances  against  Governor  Hut- 
chinson and  General  Gage,  who  were  representatives  of  a government 
which  was  becoming  more  and  more  unbearable.  What  must  have 
been  the  amazement  of  the  Whigs  in  Worcester  County  to  see  in  a con- 
spicuous place  in  the  Boston  News  Letter  of  June  30,  1774,  a copy  of  a 
bitter  announcement  of  Tory  sentiments,  which  they  had  heard  read 
at  a special  town  meeting  ten  days  before,  and  which  they  had  decisively 
voted  down. 

It  was  headed  thus: 

Messrs.  Printers:  If  you  please,  you  may  give  the  following  Protestation 
etc.  of  us,  a few  friends  of  truth,  peace,  and  order,  a place  in  your  paper; 

For  it  is  believed  that  we  and  many  others  thro’  the  province  have  too  long 
already  held  our  peace. 

In  it,  the  fifty-two  signers,  who  comprised  about  one-fourth  of  the 
town’s  voters,  and  some  of  whom  were  well-known  men,  declared: 

“It  is  with  the  deepest  concern  for  public  peace  and  order  that  we 
behold  so  many  whom  we  used  to  esteem  sober,  peaceable  men  so  far 
deceived,  deluded  and  led  astray  by  the  artful,  crafty  and  insidious 
practices  of  some  evil  minded  and  ill  disposed  persons,  who  under  the 
disguise  of  patriotism,  and  falsely  styling  themselves  the  friends  of 
liberty,  some  of  them  neglecting  their  own  proper  business  and  occupa- 
tion in  which  they  ought  to  be  employed  for  the  support  of  their  families, 
spending  their  time  discoursing  of  matters  they  do  not  understand,  rais- 
ing and  propagating  falsehoods  and  calumnies  of  those  men  they  look 
up  to  with  envy,  and  on  whose  fall  and  ruin  they  wish  to  rise,  intend  to 
reduce  all  things  to  a state  of  tumult,  discord  and  confusion.”  It 
further  accused  these  “ill  disposed  persons”  of  “bringing  into  real 
danger,  and  in  many  instances  destroying,  that  liberty  and  property  we 
all  hold  sacred,  and  which  they  vainly  and  impiously  boast  of  defending 
at  the  expense  of  their  blood  and  treasure.” 

“The  Committees  of  Correspondence,”  it  was  their  firm  opinion, 
“being  creatures  of  modern  invention,  constituted  as  they  be,  are  a 
legal  grievance  having  no  legal  foundation,  contrived  by  a junto  to 
serve  particular  designs  and  purposes  of  their  own,  and  that  they,  as 
they  have  been  and  are  now  managed  in  the  town,  are  a nuisance.” 
And  they  feared,  “it  is  in  a great  measure,  owing  to  the  baneful  influ- 
ence of  such  committees  that  the  teas  of  immense  value,  lately  belong- 
ing to  the  East  India  Company,  were  not  long  since  scandalously  de- 
stroyed in  Boston.” 


5 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER  | 

In  short  the  whole  document  is  an  interesting  illustration  of  the  fact  ' 
that  the  Revolutionary  War  was  not  a unanimous  uprising  of  all  the  i 
colonists  against  King  George,  but  a popular  movement  which  caused  a | 
series  of  misunderstandings  and  bitter  quarrels  between  old  neighbors  I 
and  sometimes  kinsmen  all  over  the  colonies.  ' 

This  protest  had  been  written  because  at  the  regular  town  meeting  i 
held  on  May  20th,  Joshua  Bigelow  had  been  elected  as  the  representa-  1 
tive  to  the  General  Court,  and  the  customary  instructions  to  him  then  ; 
read  voiced  much  that  was  revolutionary. 

The  instructions  were  the  production  of  the  American  Political  So- 
ciety, a powerful  organization  of  the  leaders  of  Whig  plans  and  activi- 
ties in  Worcester  and  were  therefore  much  too  radical  to  be  received 
with  unanimous  approval.  No  Tory  could  vote  that  he  wished  to  see  a 
General  Congress  of  the  Committees  of  Correspondence  formed,  “so 
that  we  may  unite  in  some  safe  and  sane  plan  to  secure  and  defend  the 
American  liberties.”  Nor  did  the  loyal  subjects  of  the  King  wish  to  di- 
rect their  representative  “to  endeavor  that”  Judge  Peter  Oliver  be  im- 
peached, because  he  was  willing  to  receive  a bounty  for  his  services  out 
of  the  taxes  the  Crown  levied,  instead  of  letting  the  colonial  legislature 
grant  him  his  salary  and  his  freedom  from  possible  corruption  as  well. 

An  angry  discussion  burst  forth.  Colonel  James  Putnam,  one  of  the 
most  influential  of  Worcester’s  freeholders,  had  pleaded  eloquently 
against  putting  the  town  on  record  as  rebellious  and  anxious  for  a war 
with  England.  But  the  Whig  vote  was  strong  enough  to  win.  I 

The  Tories  petitioned  the  selectmen  for  a special  meeting  to  discuss  | 
further  this  critical  decision,  and  on  the  20th  of  June,  after  they  had  | 
been  again  defeated,  their  vigorous  protest  was  brought  forward. 
This  w'as  also  refused,  and  the  Whigs  went  home,  still  surprised  at  the 
boldness  of  its  language,  but  believing  its  effect  had  been  short-lived. 

And  now  here  it  was  in  a Boston  paper,  for  all  the  colonists  to  take 
as  a sign  of  how  Worcester  felt,  when  every  reflecting  person  knew  that 
a political  crisis  was  near  at  hand. 

Indignation  grew  as  men  confronted  each  other  with  the  news. 
The  insult  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town!  The  aspersions  against  men 
as  respected  as  William  Young,  Timothy  Bigelow  and  John  Smith 
(the  local  Committees  of  Correspondence)!  The  perfidy  of  the  Town  ; 
Clerk  in  entering  the  protest  on  the  town  records!  A group  of  people  | 
excitedly  composed  a petition  to  the  selectmen  for  an  assembly  to  take  ^ 
immediate  action.  Before  the  day  was  over,  the  men  who  had  sub- 
scribed the  protest  had  met  many  a sneer  and  a threat,  and  some  of  them 
had  signed  recantations  which  intermittently  appeared  in  the  news-  | 
papers  until  the  following  December.  ! 

As  for  Clark  Chandler,  the  Town  Clerk,  whose  sympathies  had  ' 
swayed  his  sense  of  duty, — he  made  public  atonement.  On  August  : 
24th,  when  the  meeting  was  called,  after  what  seems  now  a very  long  | 
delay  for  so  important  a matter — he  came,  “a  rather  undersized  man,  ‘ 
who  always  wore  bright  red  smallclothes,”  and  was  thus  admonished:  I 

“Mr.  Clark  Chandler:  Whereas  the  town,  at  their  annual  meeting  > 


From  the  original  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society 


The  old  Blaew  Press  which  Isaiah  Thomas  moved  from  Boston  to  Worcester  just  before  the 
Battle  of  Lexington.  The  picture  at  the  right  is  that  of  Robert  B.  Thomas,  the  originator  of 
the  famous  “Old  Farmer’s  Almanac.” 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


in  March  last,  as  well  as  for  several  years  before,  honored  you  by 
choosing  you  for  their  Clerk,  relying  on  you  for  fidelity  that  you  would 
act  for  the  honor  of  the  town,  and  find  themselves  much  disappointed 
in  your  conduct  in  recording  on  the  town  book  the  scandalous  protest 
of  William  Elder  and  others,  filled  with  falsehood  and  reflection  against 
the  town,  we  have  just  reason  to  fear  you  was  actuated  in  the  matter  , 
by  unjustifiable  motives,  and  at  this  time  exhort  you  to  be  more  circum-  j 
spect  in  the  execution  of  the  duties  of  your  oifice,  and  never  give  this 
town  the  like  trouble  of  calling  a town  meeting  again  on  such  an  occa- 
sion. The  town  wish  to  see  your  behavior  such  as  may  restore  you  to  | 
their  former  good  opinion  of  you.” 

He  was  then  “required  to  obliterate,  erase  or  otherwise  deface  the 
said  recorded  protest  and  the  names  thereto  subscribed  so  that  it  may  | 
become  utterly  illegible  and  unintelligible.”  * 

He  opened  the  record  book,  and  rapidly  drew  precise  little  spiral  ‘ 

scrawls  across  the  pages.  The  scratching  of  his  pen  fell  upon  a silence  ' 

heavy  with  the  censure  of  his  fellow  townspeople.  Perhaps  the  scrutin-  I 
izing  eyes  of  the  Committee  could  see  a word  showing  here  and  there  ! 
after  he  had  finished.  Perhaps  the  murmurings  of  the  assembly  rose  , 
to  demand  further  humiliation.  At  any  rate,  the  smudges  made  by  i 
drawing  his  inky  finger  across  the  writing  are  still  in  the  town  record  ' 
book  today.  ' 

“THE  FIRST  THING  PRINTED  IN  WORCESTER” 

The  Massachusetts  Spy  issued  by  Isaiah  Thomas  j 

May  J,  177 s 

With  the  roar  of  the  cannon  at  Lexington  still  ringing  in  his  ears,  a 
slender  young  man  of  twenty-six  spurred  his  horse  toward  Worcester 
on  April  20,  1775.  Dismounting  at  Colonel  Bigelow’s  house,  opposite 
the  Court  House,  he  went  down  into  the  basement,  and  there  with  deft 
fingers  made  ready  a weapon  more  powerful  than  his  rifle,  and  much 
easier  for  him  to  handle. 

Isaiah  Thomas  had  been  a printer  ever  since  he  was  seven  years  old. 
Zechariah  PAwle  of  Boston  had  sat  him  upon  a high  bench  so  he  could 
reach  the  case,  and  let  him  set  the  type  for  ballads  and  pamphlets. 
There  is  a story  that  the  apprentice  was  so  young  and  the  master  so 
ignorant  that  neither  knew  the  rules  of  punctuation.  Therefore  when 
it  was  noticed  that  a patriotic  poem  they  were  printing  had  been  written 
in  such  ardent  haste  that  not  a single  comma,  colon  or  even  a period 
had  been  inserted,  a book  of  ballads  was  taken  down  from  the  shelf,  a 
page  turned  to  at  random,  and  the  punctuation  of  the  ballad  there 
faithfully  copied  on  the  work  in  hand! 

But  the  boy  grew  to  love  his  work,  and  eleven  years  later  in  Halifax, 
where  he  had  gone  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  passage  for  London,  he 
not  only  printed  but  edited  the  Halifax  Gazette,  owned  by  Anthony 
Henry,  until  the  objections  of  the  Loyalists  to  the  Boston  journeyman’s 


From  the  original  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society 


THE  FIRST  COPY  OF  THE  MASSACHUSETTS  SPY  PUBLISHED  IN 
WORCESTER 

At  the  bottom  of  the  page  Isaiah  Thomas  himself  wrote,  “This  newspaper  is  the  first  thing  ever 

printed  in  Worcester.” 


I' 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER! 


very  ardent  disapproval  of  the  Stamp  Act  obliged  him  to  leave.  In 
1770,  after  some  financially  profitless  adventures  in  the  South,  he  was  !< 
again  in  Boston,  where  in  his  own  paper,  the  Massachusetts  Spy,  he  I 
was  unrestrained  in  his  attacks  upon  British  tyranny.  [ 

The  Whigs  of  Worcester  County,  realizing  the  necessity  for  a paper 
to  represent  them  against  the  influential  Loyalists  who  lived  in  the  ' 
shire  town,  had  consulted  Thomas  about  sending  down  one  of  his  | 
printers.  Plans  had  been  made  in  February,  1775,  for  the  Worcester  ■ 
Gazette,  or  the  “American  Oracle  of  Liberty.”  But  “war  commencing  , 
sooner  than  was  expected,”  Boston  became  a dangerous  place  for  a ; 
defiant  Son  of  Liberty  and  his  “sedition  factory”  where  lights  often  ' 
burned  until  after  midnight  in  order  that  extra  hand  bills  and  pamphlets 
might  reinforce  the  patriotic  sentiments  of  his  paper’s  columns.  So  it 
was  Isaiah  Thomas  himself  who  came  to  Worcester.  Colonel  Timothy 
Bigelow  and  General  Joseph  Warren  helped  him  to  transport  the  type  i 
and  the  only  one  of  his  printing  presses  which  the  British  did  not  either 
carry  away  or  destroy. 

Samuel  Adams  and  John  Hancock  were  at  Worcester  on  the  24th  of 
April,  and  maybe  before,  on  their  way  to  the  Continental  Congress  at 
Philadelphia,  and  it  was  at  their  request  that  the  Committee  of  Safety 
in  the  Province  voted  that  “four  reams  of  paper  be  immediately  ordered 
to  Worcester  for  the  use  of  Mr.  Thomas,  printer;  he  to  be  accountable.” 
On  May  3d  the  Spy  made  its  reappearance  after  a suspension  of  three 
weeks.  Posts  and  messengers  distributed  the  copies. 

It  was  the  first  thing  printed  in  Worcester  or  in  any  inland  town  in 
New  England,  but  this  fact  may  well  have  been  outweighed  in  the  ' 
minds  of  the  two  hundred  regular  Worcester  subscribers  and  the  many 
other  eager  readers  it  found  there,  by  the  significance  of  the  bold  j 
motto:  “Americans!  Liberty  or  Death!  Join  or  Die!”  and  the  grim-  I 
ness  of  the  editor’s  salutation:  j 

I beg  the  assistance  of  all  the  friends  of  our  righteous  cause  to  circulate  this  | 
paper.  They  may  rely  that  the  utmost  of  my  poor  endeavors  shall  be  used  to  1 
maintain  those  rights  and  privileges  for  which  we  and  our  fathers  have  bled! 

The  vivid  account  of  the  happenings  on  April  19th,  beginning  “Amer- 
icans! forever  bear  in  mind  the  Battle  of  Lexington!  must  have  been  ; 
the  most  discussed  news  the  four  pages  carried.  Other  contents  ! 
were  a report  of  a debate  in  the  House  of  Commons  on  February  27th 
concerning  the  Fishery  Bill  “to  restrain  the  provinces  from  carrying 
on  any  fishery  on  the  banks  of  New  Foundland,”  and  a resolution  of  the  i 
Provincial  Congress  at  Concord  to  set  aside  a day  for  public  humilia-  | 
tion,  fasting  and  prayer,  “that  the  people  of  Great  Britain  and  their  j 
rulers  may  have  their  eyes  opened  to  discern  things  that  shall  make  for 
the  peace  of  the  nation  and  all  its  connections — and  that  America 
may  soon  behold  a gracious  interposition  of  Heaven  for  the  redress  of  1 
hergrievances.  ” There  were  also  brief  items  from  Boston,  Philadelphia,  ! 
New  London  and  New  York,  and  copies  of  letters  received  from  Eng-  ! 
land  telling  of  the  attitude  there  toward  the  American  Revolution.  | 

10  I 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


i8S  PSALM  xc,  xcl, 

15.  Ixrt  happy  times  wth  large  amends 
drj'  up  our  former  tears. 

Or  equal  at  (he  Icaft  the  tenn 
of  our  afliicled  yeai-s. 

16.  To  all  thy  fci-vants.  Lord,  let  this 
thy  wond’rous  work  he  known. 

And  to  our  Offspring  yet  unborn, 
thy  glorious  pow’r  be  fliowu. 

17.  Let  thy  bright  rays  upon  us  fhine» 
give  thou  our  work  fuccels  ; 

The  glorious  work  we  have  in  hand 
do  thou  vouchfafe  to  bids. 

PSALM  XCL 

1 ¥_TE  that  has  God  his  guardian  made, 
X X Ihall,  under  the  almighty’s  Ihade, 
Secure  and  undifturb’d  abide. 

2.  Thus  to  mjilbul,  of  him  I’ll  fay. 

He  is  my  fortrefs  and  my  ffay, 

My  God,  in  whom  I will  confide. 

3.  His  tender  love  and  watchful  care 
Shall  fiee  tbee  from  the  fowler's  lhare. 

And  from  the  noilbme  ptfttience  ; 

4.  He  over  thee  ids  wings  ihall  fpread. 
And  cover  t!'.y  unguarded  head  ; 

His  tnith  Ihall  be  thy  ftrong  defence. 

5.  No  terrors  that  furprizc  by  night, 

Shall  thy  undaunted  courage  fright, 

Nor  deadly  Ihafts  that  fly  by  day  ; 

6.  Nor 


PSALM  xcl. 


189 


6.  Nor  plague,  of  unknown  rife,  that  kills 
In  Darknds^  nor  mfedious  ills 

That  in  the  hotteft  fealbn  flay. 

7.  A thoufand  at  thy  fide  fhall  die. 

At  thy  right  hand  ten  thoufand  lie, 

Wliilcthy  firm  health  untouch’d  remains: 

8.  Thou  only  ihalt  look  on  and  fee 
’riic  wicked’s  fad  cataftrophe. 

And  count  the  finner’s  mournful  gains. 

9.  Becaufe  (with  well-plac’d  confidence) 
Thou  mak’li  the  Ixnd  thy  fure  defence, 

And  on  the  higheft  doll  rely  9 
1 o.  riiercfore  no  ill  Ihall  thee  befal, 

Nor  to  thy  healthful  dwelling  fliall 
Any  infechoiLS  plague  draw  nigh. 

1 1.  For  he  throughout  thy  happy  days, 

To  keep  thee  fate  in  all  thy  ways, 

Shall  give  his  Angels  ftricl  Comm.ands  ; 

1 2.  Andthcy,!cft  thoufiiould’ft  chancctomcet 
With  fome  rough  flone  to  wound  thy  feet. 

Shall  bear  thcc  fafely  in  their  hands. 

1 3.  Dragons  and  Afps  that  this  ft  for  blood, 
And  Lions  roaring  for  their  Food, 

Beneath  his  coniju’ring  feet  Ihall  lie. 

14.  Becaufe  he  lov’d  and  honour’d  me. 
Therefore  (fays  God)  I’ll  let  him  free. 

And  fix  his  glorious  throne  on  high. 

15.  He’ll  call  ; I’ll  anfwerwhcn  he  calls. 
And  refeue  him  v.  hen  ill  bcfals  ; 

, In- 


From  the  original  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society 


PSALM  BOOK 

This  almost  unrecognizable  version  in  rhyme  of  the  ninety-first  psalm  is  contained  in  Tate 
and  Brady’s  Collection  of  Psalms,  which  was  the  one  in  use  in  the  Old  South  Church  until  1790. 
On  the  fly-leaf  of  this  copy,  now  in  the  possession  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  is 
written  “Stephen  Salisbury,  1778.” 


The  little  yellow  printing  office  near  the  Court  House,  into  which  the 
press  was  subsequently  moved,  soon  made  Worcester  a tower  of  strength 
in  defense  of  American  freedom.  The  Spy  and  its  fearless  “trumpet- 
tings”  were  already  known  to  both  Whigs  and  Loyalists  all  over  the 
country.  Through  it,  Worcester  came  closely  in  touch  with  other  cen- 
ters of  the  war  and  in  turn  her  fearless  men,  such  as  Artemas  Ward, 
Edward  Bangs  and  Dwight  Foster,  could  voice  their  feelings  in  its  col- 
umns. For  several  months,  Isaiah  Thomas  also  did  all  the  printing 
for  the  Provincial  Congress,  and  that  led  to  the  establishment  of  a 
system  of  post  riders,  who  made  the  connection  between  Worcester, 
Watertown  and  Cambridge  even  closer. 

Samuel  F.  Haven,  at  one  time  librarian  of  the  American  Antiquarian 
Society,  said  once  that  “a  newspaper  is  the  autobiography  of  the 
community  in  which  it  is  published.”  The  files  of  the  Massachusetts 
Spy  furnish,  in  a spirited  style,  the  story  of  Worcester’s  development 
through  the  Revolution  until  i860.  In  1787,  Isaiah  Thomas  suspended 


II 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


its  publication,  because  a tax  on  newspaper  advertisements  seemed  to 
him  too  like  the  British  Stamp  Act  to  be  tolerated.  The  Worcester 
Weekly  Magazine  then  took  its  place  for  two  years. 

Students  of  journalism  today  may  smile  at  the  small  amount  of  space 
sometimes  given  to  local  news  and  personals  in  proportion  to  that 
devoted  to  long  “essays  and  hearsays”  reprinted  from  other  publica- 
tions. It  should  be  considered,  however,  that  in  the  early  days  of  the 
country,  people  had  to  depend  on  the  newspapers  much  more  than 
now  for  instruction  in  manners,  for  amusement,  and  for  an  appreciation 
of  how  big  the  world  was. 

As  closely  connected  with  Worcester  as  with  the  Massachusetts  Spy 
is  the  name  of  Isaiah  Thomas.  With  the  exception  of  three  years, 
during  the  war,  when  poverty  forced  him  to  lease  his  press,  he  spent  all 
his  long  life  there  busying  himself  with  a remarkable  variety  of  interests. 
He  was  postmaster  for  many  years,  and  his  printing  business,  under  the 
more  prosperous  conditions  which  peace  brought,  grew  until  he  became 
not  only  a publisher  and  a bookseller,  but  a binder  and  the  owner  of  a 
paper  mill,  as  well.  He  was  known  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  for 
his  skillful  productions,  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  who  on  a visit  to 
Worcester  in  1776  took  time  to  repair  the  old  Blaew  press,  called  him 
“The  Baskerville  of  America.” 

Even  after  he  had  given  his  printing  business  to  his  son  in  1802,  he 
wrote  in  his  diary  that  he  had  agreed  to  become  a partner  in  a tan- 
nery; that  he  hired  two  surveyors  and  went  with  them  to  survey  the 
land  for  a turnpike  road  to  Boston;  “my  week  at  the  bank”;  and 
comments  on  the  building  of  bridges,  streets,  and  other  public  matters 
about  which  his  advice  was  sought.  The  two  achievements  for  which 
the  world  knows  him  are  “A  History  of  Printing  in  America”  in  two 
volumes  and  his  founding  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  one  of 
the  greatest  repositories  of  rare  historical  documents,  old  books  and 
rare  newspapers  in  America. 


I 


I 

I 


I 


i 


\’isrr  OF  WASHLXGTOX 

July  I,  177s 

From  the  Massachusetts  Spy:  i 

Worcester,  July  5th. — On  Saturday  last  passed  through  this  town  from  ! 
Philadelphia  on  their  way  to  the  American  Army,  the  Generals  Washington  I 
and  Lee,  the  former  of  whom  is  appointed  by  the  Grand  Continental  Congress, 
Generalissimo  of  the  united  forces  of  America.  They  were  met  on  their  way  j 
by  Dr.  Church  and  Air.  Moses  Gill,  who  was  a Committee  chose  for  that  pur-  j 
pose  by  the  Honorable  Provincial  Congress;  they  were  escorted  by  a troop  of  j 
horse  from  Brookfield  under  the  Command  of  Capt.  Joseph  Chadwick  and  a 
number  of  gentlemen  of  this  town.  • 

i 

« 


2 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  a print  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

MEW  OF  WORCESTER  IN  1838  SHOWING  THE  BLACKSTONE  CANAL  AND  THE 
BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER  RAILROAD 

A railroad  train  appears  at  the  extreme  right.  The  canal  in  the  foreground  was  used  mainly 
for  freight  transportation. 

FIRST  READING  OF  THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPEND- 
ENCE IN  NEW  ENGLAND 

July  14.  ijj6 

The  people  of  Worcester  gathered  hastily  around  the  Old  South 
! Church  on  the  morning  of  July  14,  1776.  A few  days  before,  the  Spy 
\ had  announced:  “It  is  reported  that  the  Honorable  Continental  Con- 
I gress  have  declared  the  American  Colonies  independent  of  the  monster 
of  imperious  domination  and  cruelty — Great  Britain!  Which  we  hope 
is  true.” 

Now  word  went  around  that  a copy  of  the  declaration  had  been 
obtained  from  a Congressional  messenger  riding  through  the  town,  and 
! shops  and  houses  were  left  empty  as  every  one  hurried  to  hear  about  it. 

Isaiah  Thomas,  with  the  precious  copy  of  the  Philadelphia  Gazette 
|;  in  his  hand,  mounted  to  the  portico  over  the  western  entrance  to  the 
i;  church,  and  silence  came  as  he  unfolded  it  and  read:  “When  in  the 
course  of  human  events  it  becomes  necessary  for  one  people  to  dissolve 
the  political  bonds  which  have  connected  them  with  another” — 

Worcester  was  the  first  place  in  New  England  to  listen  to  the  in- 
{;  spiring  words.  They  were  read  again  the  next  day  after  the  usual 
: Sunday  services,  and  Alonday  was  given  over  to  a celebration  of  them. 


13 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


Bells  rang,  drums  rolled,  bonfires  blazed  and  cannons  roared,  while 
the  inhabitants  gave  free  expression  to  their  joy.  The  coat  of  arms  of 
George  III,  “which  in  former  times  decorated,  but  of  late  disgraced 
the  Court  House,”  was  taken  down  and  burned,  and  the  leading  tavern 
in  the  town  was  deprived  of  its  sign,  because  it  bore  the  same  despised 
insignia.  The  landlord  did  not  object,  but  assisted  in  his  crowded 
hospice,  while  rounds  of  patriotic  toasts  were  drunk. 

Benjamin  Russell,  who  became  the  editor  of  the  Boston  Centinel, 
was  at  that  time  an  apprentice  in  the  office  of  the  Spy.  In  later  years 
he  recalled  the  excitement  of  the  day.  j 

“We  were  all  so  happy,”  he  said,  “we  did  not  know  exactly  what  we  i 
did,  but  we  gave  full  vent  to  our  patriotic  feelings  till  a late  hour  in  i 
the  evening.  We  were  a little  surprised  in  the  morning  to  find  that  | 
about  a dozen  of  us  had  enlisted  as  private  soldiers  in  the  army,  a re-  | 
cruiting  officer  being  then  in  town.”  I 

As  he  was  under  sixteen  years  of  age,  his  enlistment  was  not  valid.  | 
The  Spy  concludes  its  story  of  the  festivities  by  saying:  i 

The  greatest  decency  and  good  order  was  observed,  and  at  a suitable  time 
each  man  returned  to  his  respective  home. 

INNOVATION  IN  THE  MANNER  OF  CONGREGATIONAL 
SINGING  AT  THE  OLD  SOUTH  MEETING-HOUSE 
August  S,  1 779 

The  Reverend  Thaddeus  Alaccarty  rose  in  the  Old  South  Meeting- 
house one  Sunday  in  August,  1779,  and  in  “his  distinct  and  sonorous  ” 
voice  read  from  Tate  and  Brady’s  Collection  the  psalm  the  congrega- 
tion was  to  sing.  Deacon  Chamberlain,  the  oldest  of  the  church  elders, 
from  his  place,  slowly  said  the  first  line  again.  Then  the  people 
started  singing.  No  musical  instrument  of  any  kind  led  them,  but  on 
this  particular  Sunday  morning  the  tune  seemed  surer  and  louder 
than  usual.  There  was  no  pause  when  the  end  of  the  first  line  was 
reached.  The  hymn  went  on  without  the  customary  wait  for  the  deacon 
to  read  the  next  words.  Greatly  distressed,  the  venerable  man 
attempted  to  make  himself  heard.  But  the  congregation  kept  on  i 
singing.  A controversy  which  had  lasted  for  forty  years  had  been 
brought  to  an  issue  and  the  result  was  to  be  decided  then  and  there. 

The  custom  of  having  the  deacon  pronounce  every  line  had  had  its 
beginning  at  a time  when  many  devout  worshipers  were  not  able  to 
read  the  words.  First  a line  was  read,  then  it  was  sung,  each  singer  | 
supplying  his  own  melody,  since  the  notes  would  not  have  been  intelli- 
gible either,  even  though  there  had  been  a book  for  every  one. 

The  town  had  appreciated  the  unhappy  effect  of  such  haphazard 
harmony  in  1726,  and  had  brought  up  the  matter  at  town  meeting, 
which  was  also  held  in  the  Old  South  Meeting-house.  But  the  tradition 
was  firmly  established,  and,  because  it  was  a religious  one,  hard  to  dis- 
place. The  next  step  was  diplomatic.  Leaders  of  singing  were  ap- 


14 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


t '-h  ' *'  . 


^ A.,D.  18/T  ' 

;yi-^  ^ 

Kltimitteii*— 

>^;<  v^"^'-  INTO  THE  SAID  SOCIETY, 

THE  RIGHTS  AND  PRIVILEGES  OF  A xMEMBER. 


itt  of  ViVicli  t\\evr  is  al&xed. 


President. 


J'ocrptavv. 


From  the  original  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

MEMBERSHIP  CERTIFICATE  OF  THE  WORCESTER  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY 
This  certificate  is  a souvenir  of  the  society’s  first  meeting. 

pointed  and  were  asked  to  sit  together  “in  the  two  hind  body  seats,  on 
the  men’s  side,  on  the  lower  floor  of  the  meeting-house.”  This  helped 
the  unity  somewhat,  but  the  psalms  were  still  too  broken  up  to  be 
musical. 

On  August  5,  1779,  the  town,  influenced  by  the  fact  that  other  towns 
were  adopting  the  newer  and  better  way  of  divine  praise,  voted,  “That 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


the  singers  sit  in  the  front  seats  in  the  front  gallery,  and  those  gentle- 
men who  have  heretofore  sat  in  the  front  seats  in  said  gallery  have  a 
right  to  sit  in  the  front  and  second  seat  below  and  that  said  singers 
have  said  seats  appropriated  to  said  use.”  Also,  “That  said  singers 
be  requested  to  take  said  seats  and  carry  on  singing  in  public  worship.” 
And,  “That  the  mode  of  singing  in  the  Congregation  here  be  without 
reading  the  psalms,  line  by  line,  to  be  sung.” 

So  it  was,  on  the  Sunday  following,  that  Deacon  Chamberlain’s 
protests  were  in  vain.  The  story  is  that  he  seized  his  hat,  and  in 
tears  left  the  meeting. 


SHAYS’S  REBELLION 
1786-87 


Only  two  or  three  Worcester  men  joined  the  army  of  insurgents  whose 
purpose  and  method  of  uprising  are  alike  unique  in  the  country’s 
history,  but  no  complete  account  of  Shays’s  Rebellion  can  ever  be 
written  without  the  stirring  chapters  of  it  which  had  the  Worcester 
Court  House  for  their  setting.  From  September,  1786,  until  the  Jan- 
uary following,  the  people  of  Worcester  saw  many  unwonted  sights. 
Three  times  they  saw  companies  of  armed  men  with  green  pine  plumes 
in  their  hats  come  marching  up  Alain  Street  and  take  possession  of  the 
Court  House,  while  the  Judges  held  brief  sessions  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  in  the  United  States  Tavern.  They  saw  Daniel  Shays  on  a 
white  horse,  reviewing  his  rebel  troops  on  Court  House  Hill,  and  later 
being  escorted  through  the  snowy  streets  to  his  lodgings  at  the  house 
of  Samuel  Flagg,  with  music,  and  as  much  pomp  as  though  he  were  a 
general.  They  saw  the  ranks  of  the  insurgents,  which  neither  zero 
weather  nor  hunger  could  break,  wheel  aside  to  let  the  local  militia 
pass,  rather  than  bring  their  revolt  to  a bloody  issue. 

Nor  was  Worcester  untouched  by  the  financial  confusion  which  al- 
ways results  when  war  is  a paramount  public  interest  for  any  length 
of  time.  It  is  recorded  that  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  one  out  of 
every  four  persons  in  the  Commonwealth  was  involved  in  some  kind  of 
legal  action  for  debt,  and  there  were  not  a few  residents  of  Worcester 
who  came  home  from  the  war  to  find  that  their  patriotism  had  led  to 
poverty.  Industries  were  crippled,  the  burden  of  state  and  national 
debt  the  war  had  piled  up  made  currency  almost  valueless,  and  morals 
had  been  relaxed. 

The  courts,  as  the  machinery  for  adjustment  of  private  debts,  were 
swamped  with  lawsuits,  and  the  slowness  with  which  they  proceeded 
was  causing  deep  discontent.  To  some  veterans  of  the  war  the  delay 
became  so  unbearable  a grievance  that  they  took  up  arms  against  one 
of  the  institutions  they  had  been  fighting  eight  years  to  preserve. 
These  insurgents,  or  “ regulators  ” as  they  called  themselves,  determined 
to  stop  the  courts  entirely,  so  that  their  creditors  would  be  powerless, 
without  judicial  right,  to  press  claims  against  them. 

16 


bOilOxN'  AM)  WOKCtSTEK  KAILKaAl). 


The  PassenrerCar-!  will  coniinue  to  run  daily  from  the! 

DoROt  near  Wasliinpton  street,  to  Newtun,  at  6 and  10 1 
o’clock,  a.  m.  and  at  '.Ij  o’clock,  p.  m.,  and  ! 

Ketiirning,  leave  riewton  at  7 and  111  a.  m.  and  a quar- 1 
Iter  before  5,  p.  in;  | 

I Tickete  for  tbe  pasrage  eitlier  way  may  be  bad  at  the 
iTickel  Ufiice,  No.  617  Washington  street  ; price  37\  cents 
leach,  and  for  return  passage  of  the  .Master  of  the  Cars, 
iNewton.  By  order  of  the  President  and  Directors. 

■ may29  istf  E.  A.  WIU.IAMS,  Cleric. 


BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER  RAILROAD. 

The  Passenger  Cars  will  hereafter  run  dally  from  the  fc'ij 
Depot  near  Wasliliigi'^n  street,  to  Needham,  at  6 and  | 
10  o’clock,  A.  M.  and  at  3i  ..nd  5i  o’clock,  P.  .M.  ' 

Keturning,  leave  Needham  at  aoiiaiter  past  7 and  a quar- 
ter past  11,  A.  ai.and  a quarter  before  5,  und  a quarter  be- 1 
fore:,P.  M.  ' 

They  will  stop  at  Brighton,  Angler’s  Corner,  and  New- 
ton, to’  take  in  passengers. 

Tickets  for  the  passage  eilbey  way  maybe  had  at  the  j 
Ticket  Office,  No-  617  Waahltiglou  street;  price  37J  cents  { 

I each,  and  for  return  passage  of  tbe  Master  of  tbe  Cars,! 
^Needham  and  Newton.  I 

Passengers  in  the  hntt  afternoon  trip,  may  secure  places  j 
j from  Needham  to  Worcester  and  tbe  intermediate  towns,! 
in  (bs  Rail  Road  line  of  Coaches,  by  application  at  30  Uan-I 
over  street.  Fare  from  Boeton  to  ’Worcester  $H, 

By  order  of  the  President  and  Directors. 

julylO  istf  F.  A.  WILLIAMS, Clerk. 


BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER  RAILROAD. 

raAHF.  Railroad  will  he  opened  for  the  conveyance  of  pat) 
i sengets  and  merchandise  from  Bostonto  Westboro’, 

'I'hc.  (lassengercars  will  leave  Boston  this  day  at  8 o’clock  f| 

A.  M.  and  I P.  M.  and  will  arrive  at  Westboro’  at  10  o’-|  _ 
clock  and  3.  Returning,  they  will  leave  Westnoro’  at  half 
past  10  and  at  3.  and  will  arrive  in  Boston  at  Ifl  and  at  5. 

On  .Monday,  the  17th  met  the  passenger  care  will  com 
nience  running  daily,  as  follows 


Leave  BciSton  at 
do  Newton 
do  .Needham 
do  Fr.atningliam 
no  llopkiiilmi 
Arrive  at  Westboro’ 

Leave  Westboro’  at 
do  ll.pkmton 
do  Kramiiigham 
do  NeedlMiii 
do  New-on 
.Arrive  at  lioMwn 


7 O’clock,  A.  M.  and  3J,  ?,  M.  g 

74  3}  4 

;i  I 

I'  S!  I 

Reluming,  is 

8.A.M.  andat21,  P.  M.  i 

n '4  I 

8J  34  f 

4 f. 

94  41 

- 10  4j 

tagee  will  be  (irovided  to  take  p.issengers  on  the  arrival  1 
of  the  cars  at  We»tborougli.  every  niornitt*  .and  evening  to! 

Won  ester,  every  iiinrniog  to  Norihainiiluii  and  Springfield , 
by  way  i.f  Bronklield  and  Ware,  to  arrive  on  iho  same  day,  |.,;V' 
and  also  every  ’I'liesdav,  'I’hiirsday  and  Saturday,  to  North-  r 
aiiipt..n.  by  way  of  Ne w-lir.iintree  uiid  Enfield,  itnd 
everv  Tuesday,' Thursday  and  Satuiday  throu',;h  Milbury 
to  Dud  lev. 

isiagt  s .vill  be  also  in  readiness  at  Hopkinton,  on  the  ar-  » 
rival  of  Hie  cars,  every  .Mond.iy,  Wednesday  and  Friday 
niornliig to  stall  lor  HartforU,  where  they  will  arrive  the^.n-^^ 
same  day,  mid  for  Usbriiige  every  afternoon,  where  they  bn;.;; 
w ill  .arrive  the  same  evening 

Fare  to  Brighton  and  Newton  corner,  23  cents,  to  New- 1 
ton,  31  cents,  to  Needham,  45  cents,  to  F.aminghaiii, 70  cts.  kii- 
to  Hopkinton,  75 cents,  and  to  Westborough,  $1. 

Freight  to  Hupkinloii,  $2  per  ton,  to  Westborough,  §9  50.  § 

Ills  epll  ' pi 

' ' 

Boston  and  Worcester 

Railroad.  | 


TFIE  Cars  now  leave  lire  Depots  in  Boston  ! 
and  Woi-ccster  al  the  tollowiiig  hours, 

I stoppins:  al  lire  Depots  on  ihe  i oad  : 2^ 

Ei-otn  Boston  to  Worcester,  C A.  M.,  12  M. 


BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER  RAILROAD. 

■ IITtSDED  TO  HOrKlNTON,  24  MILIS. 

TKE  Cars  will  run  at  present  as  follows  ; they  will 
leave  the  Depot  No.  G17  Washington  street,  for  Need- 
j ham,  at  6 o’clock,  A.  M.  Reluriiing,  leave  Needham  at  a 
quaiter  past  7, 

The  Cars  will  leave  Ihe 'Depot  for  Hopkinton  daily  at 
[84  A.  M.  and  at  34  P.  M. 

Retuining,  will  leave  Ilopkinton  at  lOt  A.  M.  and  at  54 
F.  M. 

They  will  stop  each  way  at  Brighton,  Angler’s  Corner, 
Newton,  Needham  and  Clarke’s.  . 

Tickets  for  the  passage  either  way  maybe  had  at  the 
I Ticket  Office,  No.  617  Washingfon  street;  and  for  return 
passage  of  the  Master  of  the  Cars.  V7 

By  order  of  Ihe  Piesideut  and  Directors.  . . . 

*2-J  istf  F.  A.  WILLIAMS, Clerk.  v,  - 


and  4 P.  M. 

From  Worcester  to  Boston,  6 .-V.  M.,  12  M. 
and  4 P.  M. 

Price  of  Tickets  to  Worcester,  .$1,50. 

Passen"cts  by  Ihis  road  will  find  convey- 
ances at  Worcester,  for  Sprin^vficld,  Northamp- 
lon  Hartford,  Norwich,  Keene,  ^'c.  &c. 

Arraiifceincnls  liav  c been  made,  to  have  Car- 
riages ready  on  the  arrival  of  Ihe  Caisin  Bos- 
ton, to  take  passengcis  lo  any  part  of  the  city,  ^ 
at  the  following  fares; 

Omnibus  or  Stage  Coach  Passengers,  20  cents 
each  ; 

Hacks,  with  4 passengers  and  usual  baggage, 

25  cents  each  ; 

Hacks  with  4 passengers  without  baggage, 

20  cents  each  ; 

Hacks  w ith  single  passenger  and  extra  bag- 
gage, 50  cents ; 

Hacks  with  two  passengers  and  e.xtra  bag- 
gage, cents  each. 

July  8,  1835.  tf-27 


From  the  originals 


Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 


EARLY  TIME-TABLES 


A record  in  handbills  of  how  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad  was  extended. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


Their  first  visit  to  Worcester  was  early  in  September,  1786.  Captain 
Adam  Wheeler,  a church  warden  and  a respected  citizen  of  Hubbards- 
ton,  led  almost  a hundred  of  them.  They  took  their  stand  about  the 
Court  House  and  set  a sentinel  to  challenge  all  comers.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  September  5th  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  left 
Judge  Allen’s  house,  where  they  had  assembled,  in  the  usual  impressive 
procession.  The  members  of  the  bar,  the  sheriff,  the  Clerk,  and  the 
Justices  of  the  Sessions  walked  with  them,  and  at  their  head  was  Chief 
Justice  Artemas  Ward,  the  beloved  hero  of  the  evacuation  of  Boston. 

The  sentinel  leveled  his  musket  at  them  as  they  approached  the 
Court  House.  But  at  one  word  from  Justice  Ward,  who  had  been  his 
commander  in  the  war,  he  lowered  it,  and  saluted  respectfully.  With 
firm  steps  and  great  dignity,  the  old  general  continued  to  lead  the  way, 
and  the  crowds  parted  to  let  him  pass.  The  scene  became  highly 
dramatic.  On  the  Court  House  steps  stood  a row  of  men  with  fixed 
bayonets.  Without  the  slightest  hesitation  he  advanced  until  his 
breast  touched  their  glittering  points. 

“Who  is  in  command  here.^”  he  demanded  in  a powerful  voice. 
“By  what  authority  and  for  what  purpose  are  you  here.?” 

Captain  Wheeler,  whose  sword  was  drawn,  answered  that  until 
conditions  were  righted,  the  courts  were  to  be  stopped — that  he  had 
force  to  do  it. 

The  Court  House  doors  opened,  revealing  a company  of  infantry 
ready  for  action.  He  then  demanded  that  the  session  be  adjourned 
indefinitely.  The  military  figure  of  the  Justice  stiffened,  and  his  voice 
rang  out:  “I  do  not  value  your  bayonets.  You  can  plunge  them  into 
my  heart,  but  while  it  beats,  I will  do  myduty.  When  I do  otherwise,  my 
life  is  of  little  consequence.  Take  away  your  bayonets,  and  let  me 
speak  to  my  fellow  citizens.” 

“Charge!”  came  the  order.  The  drum  was  beat  and  the  guard 
pressed  forward  until  their  bayonets  pierced  Justice  Ward’s  clothing. 
But  he  remained  motionless.  His  bravery  had  its  effect.  After  a 
tense  moment,  the  soldiers  fell  back,  and  allowed  him  to  mount  the 
steps.  For  almost  two  hours  he  pointed  out  to  the  crowd  the  evil  of 
treason  and  its  terrible  results.  But  the  rebels  had  won  the  day.  They 
kept  control  of  the  Court  House,  and  for  two  days  after  paraded  tri- 
umphantly about  Worcester.  The  Judges  met  in  the  United  States 
Arms  I'avern,  but  no  official  business  was  transacted. 

On  the  2 1 St  of  November,  the  Court  of  Sessions,  which  dealt  with 
criminal  cases,  was  to  convene,  and,  although  this  had  no  bearing  on 
the  wrongs  of  the  insurgents,  twice  as  many  of  them  as  before  gathered 
to  oppose  it.  This  time  it  was  the  Sheriff,  Colonel  William  Greenleaf 
of  Lancaster,  who  tried  to  persuade  them  to  disperse.  While  he  was 
speaking  on  the  Court  House  steps,  some  one  in  the  crowd  shouted  that 
he,  as  a sheriff,  was  a public  wrong,  and  that  his  fees  were  too  high, 
especially  for  criminal  executions.  “ If  you  consider  my  fees  excessive,” 
he  replied,  “you  need  not  count  them  a grievance  any  longer,  for  I 
assure  you.  Gentlemen,  that  I will  hang  you  all,  for  nothing,  with  the 

18 


RULrS  ANT)  Hr-GtJIA'nONS 

TO  B1  OftSiaVtD  AT  THS 

CaUle  Show  and  Exhibition  rj  ■ 
Manujaclures, 

In  Worees<er,  on  the  7UiX)cJob«r,  181^. 
'1. 

Marshal*  wilJ  be  appointed  to  pre* 

fme  ord«r,  sod  to  carry  ioio  tff.6  lb«  »n»ng'. 
menu  of  the  day.  Il  la  espedted  and  irqiiired  of 
every  perfon  attending  the  sbo«v>  to  follow  I'nefr 
dircdion,  and  tbofe  o*  the  IraUsirii  that  regulair> 
ty  may  be  obEerved. 

2. 

The  Trustees  will  be  in  sessiorii  at 
Eacta'a  Hotel,  at  8 o'clock,  A.  M.  lor  the  ad.  ' 
raiAofl  of  bleinbeia,  tod  ine  tracCactinn  uf  all  ne. 
ceiTaiy  bufineis.  Tbe  Society  will  move  in  p'O- 
ceOion,  prt^tftl)  at  a i o'cloci,  to  the  South  Mret- 
iiig-Houle,  where  Praveii  will  be  odeted,  and  an 
Addrefi  delivered.  The  namea  of  the  gentlemen 
appoiuied  Judges,  acd  oUier  airangemcnta,  will 
then  be  aaoounccd. 

3. 

All  Stock  offered  for  Premioms  must 

be  put  io  ibe  pent  drfiguaied  by  the  MsiQiala,  t»- 
fere  9 e’doci,  A.  M and  .emiio  fubjefi  to  their  di. 
re&ion.  And  au  entry  of  Ihelsine,  Uatmg  ibe  age 
and  defcfipdon  of  the  animal  rshibiied.  toe  name 
of  tbe  owner,  tee.  mod  be  made  to  ibt  book  of 
the  Addaot  Secretary.  1 

4. 

Gentlemen  havioR  animals  of  a aupe-  | 

rloor  ftze  or  quality,  which  it  may  not  be  mteod*  i 
ed  to  oijtr  for  pcemioma.  are  nquehed  to  add  to  1 
tbe  ioieieft  of  the  fceoe,  bv  exhibiimg  them  lO  i 
penawhirkwiU  be  allotted  foilbai  purpofe;  and,  ’ 
. by  eoteiing  them  io  the  Secreury'a  Book,  they  | 
wiU  bep  aecd  under  thecaie  of  the  Uardnla,  aod  ' 
iubje&  to  ibc  iame  reguUtiooa  aa  oiiier  aaimaJa.  i 

B.  I 

Animals  must  not  be  removed  from 

the  pen  in  which  they  are  fird  placed,  wilhaul  the 
pctmillioii  of  a MaiQtal. 

6. 

The  avenue  between  tbe  ranees  of 

pent  it  intended  cxclufively  for  the  Trvllett,  Judg- 
es and  Mcmbera  of  tbe  Society.  It  la  thctefoie 
expeited  that  no  oihcit  will  cater  the  lame  but 
by  tbe  petmilBoo  of  a Maifhal. 

7.  y 

All  articles  offered  under  the  heads 
of  DomtjUtk  and  Hon/Md  KjanJaHorts,  mud  be 
exhibiied  in  a building,  which  will  be  provided 
for  the  pmpofe,  tefore  9 o'dvei,  A.  M,  A perfon 
Will  atieod  to  arrange  ihnu  according  10  their  cn- 
tty  ill  the  Sccreiar)’t  Book,  and  will  receive  the. 
ceioHcatet  ihit  the  artxlea  were  oiaouiaSuIcd  in 
tbe  County  of  Woicclier.  | 

Ori|einal  and  improved  Machines  for 

facilitating  Agricultural  Labour,  mud  be  placed, 
h/ore  9 e'etoci,  A.  M.  in  or  near  the  builuiog  •(- 
figned  for  Specimeos  of  Manufa3urei,and  will  be 
under  tbe  dire^ion  ot  a p;c(on  appointed  by  the 
Trofteea  to  receive  them.  The  necelTary  cxplana- 
tiona  rcfpcAing  them,  and  all  commuoicationa  re- 
lating to  Agriculioral  Imptovementa,  wiil  be  re- 
ceived at  Eager’,  Hotel,  by  the  judgea  appoioied 
to  cooridct  and  dccioe  upon  liiem, 

9. 

Each  Committee  will  make  and  pub 

IiQj  foch  other  Ru'.eaand  Kegulationiai  ihrv  may 
find  oecefTary  in  the  difchaige  of  the  trult  a.Tign- 
ed  to  them  ; and  all  perlous  cooccroed  wni  con* 
form  ibcicia. 

10. 

The  Premiums  will  be  awarded  in  the 

Meeting.  Houle,  at  5 o'clock,  P.  M. 

ir?*A  PUBLICK  DINNER  will  be 

provided  lor  the  Society,  aod  all  other  geolle- 
! men  who  may  be  dilpofed  to  lioriour  the  occs- 
lion  with  iheir  prefence,  at  EaccR'a  Hotel  — ' 
f TicklU  may  be  obtained  of  Mr.  baoix,  ai  hia  j 
i bat.  DANlfL  WALUO,  "J . 1 

THEOPria.  wheeler,  I 
I NATHl  P.  DENNY, 

j LEVI  LINCOLN,  jun.  I | 2 

EDWARD  D.  BANGS.  J .3 

.'  H’orie.ter,  9ett.  14.  1819. 


Ulas0acl)usett5  Spij. 


The  liberty  •T  1K«  Prets  li  esBcntlAl  to 
Cbe  Seevrtt^  of  Freedom*** 


■WORCESTEE: 

NINTH  MONTH  t%KPT.')  8,  185d. 


FREE  SOIL  NOMINATIONS. 


FrealdcBUni  EleetloB.  Tneadxy,  Not.  2d. 

FOR  PRESIDENT, 

JOIliV  p.  lIAIvE, 

OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


FOR  VICE  PRESIDENT, 

OSORdlli:  W.  JULIAilf, 

OF  INDIANA. 


Free  DemoeroUt  State  Conreatlon* 
Notice  ti  hereby  gWen,  that  ihe  Acootl  Coa- 

veoiioB  of  ihe  Free  t>emacf8Clc  pa.tY  of  Ma«e8Che»eit» 
xrlllbehoMen  at  LOWgLL,  on  WfcDNE8l)AT,8«i>- 
ttroberJStb,  nil  o’clock,  A.  M.,  fo  nominate  caadl- 
daiea  for  ihe  omre*  of  Governor.  «nd  Llemenani  Gover- 
nor, aod  aleo,  PreeideniiaJ  Elecmrs  j and  to  cojijirter 
and  adopt  mch  mraeuree  oa  mny  be  deemed  joal  and 
oeceeaary,  m order  to  proaroie  lUe  rreat  caiae  of  Free- 
dom ibtoufhoul  ihe  Unitra,  and  equal  rijhu  and  repre- 
seotation  tbrfojghout  tbe  Commonwealth. 

The  *cver4l  cHiea  end  town*  are  requested  to  chooee 
deleyatei  to  ilte  CoDvenUon,  in  the  proportion  of  three 
for  every  •RepfeecntaUve  to  ihe  Geneial  Court,  to  which 
they  are  by  law  entlUed 

ITie  Free  Demoertiie  Commatec  in  the  aeveraJ 
and  town*,  are  reqneaiad  to  Uke  lorhwiUi  ail  needful 

aiepeio*ecifearull  wpre*eaialK>no4  tbal  poiUoo  of 

the  people  who  cooaider  the  claima  of  Juniice  aod  Lib- 
erty,  narafiioonl  lo  thoae  of  party  - 

Br  order  of  the  Slate  Centra!  CoBimitiee. 

UENaY  WILSON.  Chairman. 
Enw.  L.  Kma,  Sec’y. 

Graud  Ralif 

OF  THE  FREE  DEMOCRACY. 

The  Free  Deraocracj  of  Worcester  County,  end  of  the 
Bieie  cenerelly,  Bie  hereby  inforra-d  ibet  the  Free  D« 

mocracy  of  this  eiiy  ptopi»e  to  hold  a 

Grand  Mass  Meeting, 

la  WORCESTER,  on  TUESDAY  Evening,  Sept.  14tb, 
upon  which  oceaalon 

Hon.  CHARLIES  ALLEN 

wUi  address  bl«  cnnrtiluenu  opon  the  political  quealioo 

Other  diatinpui'hcd  BpeakeTs  have  also  been  tnvil^ 

to  addtg-v,  the  people  on  thl*  occasion  , a-id  those  who 
come  may  be  aavured  of  acwdial  Fr»-e  Soil  welcome, and 
aeood  itmeaMieiully.  Uclccnte*  frooi  other  portions 
efehe  Stale,  who  will  pa.«a  through  Worcester  eu  row  re 
for  Lowell,  are  ojieeially  invited  to  mike  their  arrange, 
menia  to  tarry  here  over  nigbi.  anJ  vre  bow  the  Beacim 

Tree*  of  Liberty  ere  burni-ig  upon  the  hl«  tops  of  old 

"X^railTemCDis  have  been  made  for  the  Worcwler 
County  delegation  to  enter  lx»well  la  a body,  and  to 
make  IW- city  the  rally  ing  poiai  bir  as 

Come  then  brethren  all.  and  unite  wi  h ua  on  the  H«Jl, 
lo  tb«  deinonatraiio**  in  farv/  of  Free  Speccli,  t ree  ?*<mU 

and  Free  Men,  ami  hf'lp  ua  10  ligitolo  the  poliUcal  vie- 
meni.forlhehs.ienlDgofibat.lay  Slavery  end 

not  Freedom  shall  be  eecuooal,  and  Liberty  uol  blavery 
ommitter-. 

T.  DREW,  Sec'y. 


GREAT  .REETIAG: 

THERE  will  he  e Meelinr  of  the  Citaen.  of  Wo?, 
ce.ier  and  vicinity,  M the  i-TTY  HALL,  in 
ler,  on  TUUKSU,\y  (to  morrow)  Evening,  oept.  s, 

HON.  HENRY  WtLSON 
will  ad.lre.vs  the  people  in  s review  of  the  RewiluiioM 
of  the  Whl€  State  Convenrtou,  and  in  dcfcMse  vi  ine 
molivea,  objeru,  and  fe»ultB  of  tbe  Coahiion,  asalual 
the  atiacka  oi  tboee  Reaolutiona. 

(C/*  Cltiaeos,  of  all  parwea,  arc  invited  to  a«iena. 


From  the  Spy  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill  From  the  Spy  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

Regulations  for  the  first  Cattle  Show  and  Nominations  of  the  Free  Soil  Party  in  the 

Exhibition  of  Manufactures.  Presidential  Election  of  1852. 


CLIPPINGS  FROM  THE  SPY 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


greatest  of  pleasure.”  In  the  laughter  that  followed,  a sly  hand 
reached  out  and  placed  a pine  branch,  the  emblem  of  the  rebels,  in  his 
hat.  Totally  unaware  of  it,  the  Sheriff  proceeded  to  read  the  riot  act, 
and  later  he  marched  solemnly  away  with  the  Judges,  still  wearing  it. 
Under  that  date,  in  the  town  records,  the  Clerk  had  to  write,  for  the 
only  time,  that  an  armed  force  had  prevented  the  holding  of  court. 

Two  humorous  happenings  and  a steady  reign  of  excitement  for  sev- 
eral days  marked  the  next  invasion  by  Shays’s  troops.  By  now,  the 
rebels  were  not  the  only  soldiers  who  bore  arms  in  Worcester.  With 
Joel  Howe  as  captain,  two  companies  of  the  local  militia  drew  up  on 
December  4th  before  the  United  States  Arms  Tavern.  The  insurgents 
had  their  headquarters  there,  not  knowing  that  the  court  they  had 
come  to  stop  would  meet  on  December  6th  at  the  Sun  Tavern  only 
long  enough  to  adjourn  until  January  23d,  by  the  Governor’s  orders; 
for  the  insurrection  had  now  become  a state  affair.  The  opposing 
forces  advanced  upon  each  other.  Closer  and  closer  they  came,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  many  lives  were  in  danger.  But  the  ranks  that  wore 
the  evergreen  suddenly  bent.  Brave  soldiers  as  they  were,  and  eager 
for  the  relief  of  the  country’s  distress,  they  would  not  start  an  actual 
civil  war.  The  militia  passed  by  them,  and  from  that  moment,  as  far 
as  the  people  of  Worcester  were  concerned.  Shays’s  Rebellion  ceased 
to  be  taken  seriously. 

Still  waiting  for  the  court  day  to  come,  the  insurgents  took  up  their 
station  at  the  Court  House,  and  a detachment  of  them  went  to  the 
Hancock  Arms  for  the  night.  It  was  bitterly  cold,  and  heavy  snow  was 
falling,  so  the  sentinels  at  the  tavern  left  their  posts  and  went  inside 
to  get  warm.  Some  boys  of  the  town,  seeing  their  abandoned  weapons 
in  the  hall,  quietly  carried  them  away.  They  then  came  back  and  called 
in  through  the  window  to  the  group  around  the  fire,  “Here  come  the 
Light  Horse!”  In  great  alarm,  the  guards  ran  for  their  weapons,  and 
not  finding  them,  lost  no  time  in  joining  their  comrades  at  the  Court 
House.  None  of  the  insurgents  slept  that  night.  Even  after  the  rifles 
were  found,  the  mischievous  boys  kept  coming  at  intervals  and  giving 
the  false  alarm. 

William  Lincoln  in  his  History  of  Worcester  gives  a delightful  ac- 
count of  the  troubles  the  next  night  brought  to  the  men  at  the  Hancock 
Arms.  Dr.  Samuel  Stearns  of  Paxton  was  sent  for  in  a great  hurry, 
when  several  of  the  men  became  violently  ill,  after  a round  of  drinks. 
Being  more  of  an  almanac  maker  than  a doctor,  he  at  once  assured  the 
victims  and  the  anxious  listeners  that  their  rum  contained  a fatal  poison. 
The  soldiers  heard  him  aghast.  Those  already  ill  became  immediately 
worse.  Their  groans  were  added  to  by  the  others,  who  anticipated  the 
horrible  death  the  doctor  pictured.  Several  of  them  went  to  the  home 
of  Daniel  Waldo,  from  whose  store  the  sugar  in  the  rum  had  been 
bought,  and  made  him  come  with  them  to  the  tavern.  Daniel  Waldo 
was  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  respected  men  of  Worcester,  and 
his  allegiance  to  the  government  in  the  crisis  had  been  open  and  fear- 
less. The  rebels  believed  he  had  deliberately  planned  their  ruin.  But 


20 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  Bradbury  Guild's  Railroad  Chart,  1847  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

FOSTER  STREET  STATION— TRAIN  ENTRANCE 
The  roundhouse  at  the  left. 


[ a careful  test  of  the  sugar,  by  Doctor  Green  of  Ward,  who  had  responded 
j to  the  frantic  calls  for  medical  assistance,  and  subsequent  questioning 
< of  the  clerk  who  had  sold  it,  showed  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  sugar 
i more  serious  than  some  good  Scotch  snuff  which  had  accidentally 
! blown  into  the  bin.  Rapid  recoveries  were  brought  about  by  this 
; news,  and  on  the  next  day,  which  was  Wednesday,  all  the  insurgents  in 
Worcester,  now  numbering  eight  hundred,  marched  before  Daniel 
Shays  in  review. 

The  court  had  done  what  they  desired  without  any  effort  on  their 
j part.  But  they  lingered  in  Worcester,  patrolling  the  icy  streets,  and 
stopping  influential  townspeople,  who  had  censured  them.  Levi 
1 Lincoln,  Mr.  Justice  Washburn  of  Leicester,  and  Justice  Baker  were 
! among  the  ones  they  accosted. 

On  Saturday,  they  disbanded  temporarily.  But  their  parade  before 
I their  headquarters  was  the  last  one  they  had  in  Worcester. 

By  January  23d,  the  time  which  would  have  brought  the  rebels  back, 

; the  government  had  raised  an  army  of  over  four  thousand  men,  and 
. there  were  enough  of  them  placed  in  Worcester  to  make  an  excursion 
into  the  town  impossible  for  the  rebels.  The  Judges  entered  the  Court 
House  unmolested. 

[ Worcester  was  well  represented  in  General  Benjamin  Lincoln’s 
line.  Dr.  Oliver  Fiske,  then  a young  man  teaching  school  at  Lincoln, 
secured  a substitute,  and  joined  a band  of  Light  Horse.  Joel  Howe, 
William  Treadwell,  Phinehas  Jones  and  Daniel  Goulding  were  at  the 
. head  of  companies  in  which,  among  the  privates  from  Worcester, 


21 


From  a photograph  Collection  of  Worcester  Historical  Society 

THE  LOCOMOTIVE  LION 

Built  at  the  Bury  works,  Liverpool,  England,  in  1835,  the  Lion  was  in  use  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  railroad  thirty-two  years. 
After  this  picture  was  made,  a cab,  truck  wheel  and  cow  catcher  were  added,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Brookline.  Even  later 
It  was  called  the  Farmingdale,  and  in  all  ran  seven  hundred  thousand  miles  — more  than  any  other  locomotive  in  the  United  States. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


were  enlisted  such  prominent  men  as  Timothy  Bigelow,  Edward 
Bangs  and  Theophilus  Wheeler.  Jonathan  Rice,  a deputy  sheriff, 
was  shot  in  the  arm,  and  Samuel  Flagg  and  John  Stanton,  also  of 
Worcester,  were  freed  by  a surprise  attack  from  a tavern  at  New 
Braintree  where  one  of  Shays’s  assistants,  Luke  Day,  held  them  captive. 

The  insurrection  collapsed  at  the  state  arsenal  In  Springfield,  on 
January  25th,  when  the  rebels  fled  as  the  government  troops  fired  the 
first  howitzer. 

THE  FIRST  CATTLE  SHOW  ON  THE  COAIMON 

October  7,.  1819 

All  during  the  summer  of  1819,  the  Spy  and  the  jEgis  Informed  their 
readers  of  the  progress  of  the  preparations  being  made  for  the  cattle 
show  by  a committee  composed  of  Daniel  Waldo,  Theophilus  Wheeler, 
Nathaniel  Denny,  Levi  Lincoln,  Jr.  and  Edward  Bangs.  The  state 
legislature,  in  order  to  promote  interest  in  agriculture  and  in  home 
manufactures,  had  offered  to  devote  a certain  sum  of  money  toward 
prizes  to  each  county  which  would  establish  an  association  with  a mem- 
bership of  five  hundred.  Worcester  County  Agricultural  Society  had 
been  started  In  1818,  and  the  membership  was  five  hundred  and  fifty 
when  It  held  its  first  exhibition  on  the  Worcester  Common.  The  an- 
imals were  assigned  to  two  rows  of  thirty  pens  each,  with  a wide 
aisle  between  them,  and  all  their  owners  led  them  there  before  nine 
o’clock.  The  judges  went  around  and  made  their  decisions  as  rapidly 
as  they  could.  At  eleven  o’clock  the  Common  was  deserted  save  for 
the  unconscious  contestants,  while  more  than  two  thousand  people  met 
In  the  Old  South  Meeting-house  for  a formal  opening  of  the  show.  “A 
prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  Doct.  Bancroft,  and  the  Address  of  the  Hon. 
Levi  Lincoln  Jr.  was  such  as  the  distinguished  talents  of  the  Orator  and 
5 the  importance  of  the  occasion  warranted  us  to  expect.  . . . He 
I depicted  in  glowing  but  correct  colors  the  many  advantages  natural 
i and  acquired  of  New  England.” 

As  the  crowd  left  the  meeting-house.  It  formed  into  a procession, 

I and  “ led  by  a band  of  musick  belonging  to  the  ist  Brigade  7th  Division, 
I who  volunteered  their  services  at  the  request  of  Brigadier  General 
! Thomas  Chamberlain,”  it  encircled  the  pens  in  a gala  march.  Groups 
I were  then  formed  and  tours  of  inspection  and  criticism  began. 

1 The  animals,  of  course,  claimed  the  greatest  attention.  But  there 
were  many  who  lingered  before  the  exhibit  of  broadcloth  and  carpeting 
entered  by  manufacturing  companies  and  individuals.  “Skeins  of 
I tow  yarn  spun  on  a great  wheel  by  a lady  of  Worcester”  are  given 
mention  in  the  account,  which  was  no  doubt  prepared  by  the  Society’s 
secretary,  as  both  local  papers  contain  it.  Specimens  of  colored  sewing 
silk  are  also  noted. 

Among  the  inventions  and  improved  devices  were  “a  turnip  sheer, 
a drilling  machine,  a garden  rake  with  a double  row  of  teeth,  a Skotch 
churn  and  a straw  cutter.” 


23 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


There  were  also  presented  a great  variety  of  vegetables  of  extraordinary 
size,  among  which  were  7 Swedish  Turnips  or  Ruta  Baga  of  the  average  weight 
of  10  lbs.  each;  from  a field  of  a quarter  of  an  acre,  in  which  were  growing  many 
of  equal  size  by  Hon.  Levi  Lincoln,  Jr.,  of  Worcester:  A Winter  Squash 
weighing  115  lbs.  by  Thomas  W.  Ward  of  Shrewsbury,  another  weighing  126 
lbs.  by  Mr.  Aaron  Rogers  of  Holden,  a remarkably  large  Summer  Squash  and 
a Cucumber  by  Hon.  Daniel  Waldo  of  Worcester — a very  large  Winter 
Squash  by  Edward  D.  Bangs,  measuring  in  length  3 feet  4 inches,  and  a 
monstrous  pumpkin  by  Ward  N.  Boylston. 

The  members  of  the  association  had  a dinner  at  Eager’s  Hotel, 
and  in  the  afternoon  fifteen  yoke  of  oxen  were  put  to  a test  on  Baptist 
Hill,  now  Salem  Square,  “to  try  their  strength  and  docility  and  the 
perfectly  good  management  of  their  drivers.”  First  they  were  fas- 
tened in  single  yoke  to  a load  of  stone;  then  to  a drag  on  a traveled 
path, — and  after  that,  they  plowed  a given  stretch  of  land.  This  was 
an  event  much  talked  of  beforehand,  and  it  drew  great  crowds  to 
w^atch  it. 


VISIT  OF  LAFAYETTE 

September  2,  1824 

Every  one  in  Worcester  wanted  to  see  Lafayette.  Crowds  began 
to  collect  on  the  streets  as  early  as  8 a.m.,  September  2d,  and  the  more 
enterprising  walked  out  as  far  as  Clark’s  Tavern,  two  miles  north  of  the 
town,  to  await  his  coming. 

A generation  had  passed  since  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  a boy  of 
nineteen,  had  chartered  a ship  and  made  a fifty-four-day  trip  to  Amer- 
ica, defying  his  family  and  his  king  to  offer  his  money  and  sword  to  the 
cause  of  liberty.  His  pluck  and  coolness  under  fire  won  him  a general- 
ship by  the  side  of  men  twice  his  age,  while  his  simplicity  of  manner 
and  his  youthful  enthusiasm  endeared  him  to  every  soldier  in  the 
patriot  army  from  Washington  down. 

All  the  schoolboys  who  stood  on  the  street  knew  the  story.  In  their 
minds  it  surpassed  in  action  and  adventure  any  fiction  they  had  read. 
Foremost  in  the  thoughts  of  the  women  who  waited  were,  perhaps,  the 
tales  of  how  the  great  man  was  as  gallant  a lover  as  a soldier,  and  that 
his  wife  Adrienne,  herself  of  noble  family,  had  endured  two  years  of 
ill-nourishment  and  misery  rather  than  leave  her  husband  alone  in  the 
German  and  Austrian  prisons  where  his  exertions  for  freedom  in  France 
brought  him.  But  the  old  men  were  the  most  eager.  With  the  sight 
of  Lafayette  would  come  memories  of  their  youth  and  of  the  campaigns 
in  which  they  had  taken  part. 

Excited  surmises  must  have  run  through  the  crowd.  “Will  he  have 
on  his  uniform  and  the  sword  that  Congress  gave  him.^”  “Will  his 
little  boy  who  is  named  for  Washington  be  with  him.^”  “Will  he 
remember  us.^”  “Will  he  be  as  much  changed  as  we  are.^” 

Shortly  after  half-past  ten  the  questions  were  answered.  First  came 
the  militia  headed  by  Captain  Estabrook,  then  the  coach  which  brought 

24 


Courtesy  of  The  Bostonian  Society 


print  of  a portrait  by  Ary  Scheffer 


LAFAYETTE 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


Lafayette  from  Bolton  where  he  had  spent  the  night  at  the  home  of 
S.  V.  S.  Wilder.  There  was  a great  pressing  forward  to  catch  a glimpse 
of  him  as  he  stepped  into  the  barouche  with  Judge  Levi  Lincoln, 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements. 

Lafayette  was  now  sixty-eight  years  old,  and  his  military  figure, 
slightly  under  six  feet,  had  a tendency  to  portliness.  “He  had  strong, 
full  features,  prominent  eyes  and  eyebrows,  but  his  high  forehead  was 
somewhat  concealed  by  a wig.”  He  did  not  wear  his  uniform.  With 
him  was  his  son,  shorter  and  darker  than  his  father,  a grown  man  with 
children  of  his  own,  Lafayette’s  valet,  Bastien,  and  his  secretary,  Au- 
guste Levasseur,  who  wrote  a detailed  account  of  the  entire  trip. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Samuel  Ward  gave  the  signal  for  his  regiment  of 
light  troops,  which  accompanied  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  to 
fall  into  line,  and  the  procession  started.  The  constant  applause  along 
the  way  swelled  now  and  then  as  Lafayette  grasped  the  hand  and  re- 
called the  name  of  one  of  his  former  soldiers.  The  newspaper  accounts 
cite  that  he  remembered  names  and  incidents  not  only  in  Worcester, 
but  in  his  triumphal  march  all  over  the  country. 

As  he  passed  under  the  flags  at  Dr.  Paine’s  house,  a national  salute 
was  fired  and  bells  rang  loudly.  Court  House  Hill  was  decorated  by 
a large  arch,  and  on  either  side  of  the  road,  children,  whose  parents 
had  not  seen  Revolutionary  times,  threw  laurel  for  his  carriage  to  pass 
over.  The  Worcester  Bank  had  hung  in  front  of  it  several  flags,  and 
the  motto,  “Hitherto  I have  only  cherished  your  cause:  now  I go  to 
serve  it.”  This  was  the  reply  Lafayette  made  to  Silas  Deane  and 
Benjamin  Franklin,  the  American  Commissioners  in  Paris,  who  knew 
the  discouraging  state  of  America  in  December,  1776,  when  Lafayette 
consulted  them,  and  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  starting  on  so  uncertain 
a mission.  On  a banner  further  along  were  the  names  of  the  battles 
in  which  Lafayette  fought — Brandywine,  Jamestown,  Valley  Forge 
and  Yorktown. 

It  was  almost  noon  before  the  four  gray  horses  which  drew  Lafayette’s 
barouche  stopped  at  the  white  portico  of  Judge  Lincoln’s  mansion, 
where  the  party  was  to  have  breakfast.  Here,  as  all  along  the  way, 
there  were  shouts  of  welcome  as  Lafayette  alighted  and  went  up  the 
walk,  limping  slightly,  and  nodding  benevolently  to  left  and  right. 
On  the  porch  of  his  home.  Judge  Lincoln  welcomed  him  in  behalf  of 
the  town,  and  Lafayette  in  reply  expressed  his  pleasure  at  seeing  signs 
of  such  prosperity  and  happiness  on  every  side.  No  doubt  the  one 
carpeted  room,  which  to  the  people  of  Worcester  symbolized  the  simple 
tastes  of  the  wealthy  Lincoln  family,  was  thrown  open,  as  well  as  every 
other  room  in  the  spacious  home,  for  the  ladies  who  wished  to  be  pre- 
sented to  Lafayette  and  for  his  old  comrades  in  arms. 

No  mention  is  made  of  a band  as  having  a place  in  the  procession, 
but  there  must  have  been  music  at  two  o’clock  when  Lafayette  took 
his  place  at  the  gate  and  reviewed  the  troops  “whose  appearance  and 
equipment  was  not  excelled  by  any  body  of  militia  in  the  United 
States.”  Soon  after  he  took  his  departure,  accompanied  for  four  miles 

26 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  a print  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

THE  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD  TRAIN 

I 

on  his  way  to  New  York  by  the  Committee.  To  one  of  them,  in  speak- 
ing of  the  reception  Worcester  had  given  him,  he  said,  “ It  is  the  homage 
you  pay  to  the  principles  of  your  government — not  to  me.” 
i Those  who  saw  that  day  never  forgot  it.  They  talked  of  the  great 
man  and  his  “kindly  look.”  They  heard  with  interest  echoes  of  bal- 
loon ascensions,  fireworks,  bonfires,  balls,  banquets,  illuminations  and 
[ parades  with  which  the  Nation  elsewhere  honored  its  guest,  and  of  the 
, gifts  offered  to  him,  varying  from  a handsomely  equipped  carriage  to  a 
[ pair  of  tame  geese. 


OPENING  OF  THE  BOSTON  AND  WORCESTER  RAILROAD 

July  4,  183s 

One  of  the  people  who  watched  the  approach  of  the  first  train  to 
Worcester — an  inmate  of  the  asylum — remarked  that  “he  never  saw 
a critter  go  so  fast  with  such  short  legs!”  The  story  was  printed  in 
the  Spy,  and  was  retailed  upon  the  streets  for  a long  time  after  the  cele- 
bration was  over.  For  this  was  not  an  abnormal  impression,  after  all. 
“It  appears  like  a thing  of  life!”  wrote  Christopher  Columbus  Baldwin 
in  his  diary,  after  he  had  seen  a train  at  Needham  and  ridden  in  it  to 
Boston.  It  is  in  the  same  diary,  written  while  the  author  was  Librarian 
of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  from  1829  until  his  premature 
death  in  a stage-coach  accident  in  Norwich,  Ohio,  in  August,  1835,  that 
the  most  vivid  account  of  the  important  event  in  Worcester’s  history 
is  found: 

July  4,  1835. 

The  road  was  publicly  opened  today,  and  the  first  train  of  cars  reached 
Worcester  at  half  past  ten  in  the  forenoon.  The  streets  were  thronged  with 
people  from  the  adjoining  towns  at  an  early  hour,  and  these,  with  our  popula- 
tion, presented  a larger  multitude  in  the  town  than  I have  ever  before  wit- 
nessed. Few  of  them  had  ever  seen  carriages  moved  by  steam,  and  their 

27 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  a photograph  Kindness  of  Betiiamin  Thomas  Hill 

FOSTER  STREET  STATION  — PASSENGER  ENTRANCE 

curiosity  was  very  great.  The  sides  of  the  road  were  lined  with  people  for 
nearly  a mile,  all  equally  eager  to  have  a glympse  of  the  novel  and  marvellous 
spectacle.  It  being  the  4th  of  July,  which  is,  perhaps,  our  greatest  holy  day 
in  the  year,  made  the  collection  of  people  greater  than  it  might  otherwise  have 
been.  The  females  were  almost  as  numerous  as  the  males. 

That  I might  witness  the  entry  of  the  first  train  of  cars  to  the  greatest 
advantage,  I invited  the  Hon.  Joseph  Kendall,  Clerk  of  the  Courts,  who  is  my 
fellow  boarder,  to  accompany  me  in  a waggon  to  a high  ground  above  Pine 
Meadow  where  the  road  may  be  seen  for  near  a mile.  We  were  told  that  the 
cars  would  arrive  at  Worcester  at  half  past  eight,  and  we  accordingly,  that  we 
might  lose  no  part  of  the  interesting  exhibition,  took  our  station  upon  the  hill 
at  ten  minutes  past  eight.  ...  I sat  in  the  waggon  and  held  the  horse.  The 
day  was  a very  warm  one,  and  as  I had  no  protection  from  the  sun,  I was 
nearly  roasted.  The  cars  came  at  half  past  ten  instead  of  half  past  eight.  . . . 
When  they  came  in  sight,  my  horse  took  fright,  and  I was  compelled  to  get 
out  of  the  waggon  and  had  great  difficulty  in  holding  him.  He  reared  and 
jumped  most  furiously,  and  when  he  w'as  so  far  recovered  as  to  permit  me  to 
look  around,  the  train  of  cars  had  reached  their  destination! 

A small,  squat  locomotive  and  eleven  passenger  cars  made  up  the 
first  train  which  came  puffing  into  the  old  depot  on  Foster  Street.  In 
the  early  days  of  railroading — and  the  Boston  and  Worcester  was  the 
first  railroad  of  any  length  in  Massachusetts — it  was  the  locomotive, 
and  not  as  now  the  passenger  cars  it  pulls,  for  which  a personality  was 
created  by  calling  it  a distinctive  name.  Just  what  were  the  names  of 

28 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  O R C E S T E R 


'the  two  engines  fresh  from  England,  which  worked  on  July  4th  cannot 
be  said  with  certainty.  The  famous  “ Farmingdale”  started  its  thirty- 
two  years  of  service  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad  very  soon 
after  that  date,  and  it  may  have  drawn  one  of  the  trains  which  first 
came  to  Worcester. 

The  passenger  cars  looked  like  stage  coaches.  “The  entrance  was  on 
the  side,  and  the  conductor  had  to  walk  along  a narrow  platform  on 
the  outside,  holding  on  by  an  iron  rod  at  the  top  of  the  car  while  he 
collected  the  fares.”  Fifteen  hundred  excited  people,  in  all,  were  carried 
that  day.  Two  trains  made  complete  trips  from  Boston  to  Worcester 
and  back  again,  the  time  for  a trip  from  Boston  to  Worcester  being 
three  hours  and  a quarter.  The  fare  was  $1.50.  Later,  when  a regular 
schedule  was  established,  the  fare  was  increased  to  $2.00,  and  the  trip 
took  much  less  time. 

Worcester  manufactures  and  commerce  had  been  flourishing  since 
1828,  because  of  the  Blackstone  Canal.  Benjamin  Wright,  the  engi- 
neer of  the  Erie  Canal,  had  planned  this  waterway,  stretching  from 
Worcester  forty-five  miles  to  Providence.  It  floated  boats  seventy  feet 
long  and  nine  feet  wide,  which  were  pulled  by  a two-horse  tow  line  at 
the  rate  of  four  or  five  miles  an  hour.  Its  first  boat,  “The  Lady  Car- 
rington,” created  stir  enough  when  the  initial  trip  was  made  on  October 
6,  1828,  but  the  first  railroad  train,  because  of  the  rapidity  of  its  ap- 
proach and  the  wonder  of  steam’s  agency,  was  a greater  sensation. 

The  Blackstone  Canal  had  encouraged  the  building  of  factories  along 
its  banks.  It  had  established  connections  with  trade  centers,  as  stage 
coaches  could  never  have  done.  Worcester  was  ready  now  for  the 
railroad. 

Within  the  next  five  years,  the  line  was  extended  in  one  direction  to 
Albany  and  Hudson,  and  in  another  to  Norwich,  where  ferries  went 
across  to  Long  Island. 


THE  SCHOOL  STREET  FIRE 
August  2J,  1838 

A fire  is  doubly  exciting  if  it  comes  when  a town  is  in  darkness.  It 
was  at  one  o’clock  in  the  morning  that  the  alarm  of  the  School  Street 
fire  startled  Worcester  people  from  their  beds.  Current  newspaper 
accounts  fail  to  give  details  of  the  suspense  and  the  spectacle  of  that 
night,  but  copies  of  a large  canvas  painted  by  George  L.  Brown,  a well- 
known  artist  of  that  time,  hung  in  many  Worcester  homes  for  years,  and 
a glance  at  the  picture  often  started  recollections  of  some  thrilling 
moments. 

The  fire  was  well  under  way  before  any  one  discovered  it.  It  started 
in  Henry  Goulding  and  Company’s  factory,  evidently  from  sponta- 
neous combustion.  Sixty  thousand  dollars’  worth  of  machinery  for 
knitting  and  weaving  woolens  was  made  there  annually,  and  a combina- 
tion of  the  vitriol  used  and  iron  filings  may  have  brought  it  about. 


29 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


i 


ij 


From  a print  of  a painting  Collection  of  Perry  Walton 

SCHOOL  STREET  FIRE 

The  Worcester  Fire  Department  in  its  early  days  used  this  picture  on  its  Membership  Certifi- 
cates, as  this  was  the  first  big  fire  its  members  were  called  upon  to  fight  after  they  organized  in 
February,  1838.  The  painting  was  made  by  George  L.  Brown  of  Boston. 

Little  could  be  done  toward  saving  either  the  Goulding  shops,  which 
were  made  of  brick,  or  the  valuable  machinery  which  they  contained. 
The  firemen  and  the  brigade  of  townsmen  who  rushed  to  School  Street 
worked  vigorously,  but  the  whole  building  was  ruined  and,  in  it,  sets  of 
cherished  tools  owned  by  poor  workmen. 

The  Boston  and  Worcester  Stage  Company  lost  its  stables  and 
carriage  houses,  although  the  horses  were  led  out  safely.  North  of  the 
factory  was  a whole  block  of  tenements, — wooden  buildings  in  which 
five  or  six  families  lived.  Once  this  caught  fire,  there  must  have  been 
frantic  attempts  at  gaining  assurance  that  everyone  was  out  and  that 
nobody  rushed  back  for  furniture  or  other  possessions.  Of  all  this, 
the  papers  say  nothing. 

Frederick  W.  Paine  was  the  heaviest  loser  through  the  destructive 
blaze,  as  he  was  the  owner  of  the  tenements  as  well  as  of  the  Goulding 
factory  building.  The  names  of  the  companies  by  whom  he  was  insured 
were  the  Worcester  Mutual  Insurance  Companyand  the  Manufacturers 
Mutual  Insurance  Company,  but  his  losses  were  not  completely  cov- 
ered. 

A safe  containing  valuable  papers  withstood  the  flames  and  was 
found  in  the  ruins  when  dawn  came.  The  A^gis  is  authority  for  the 
story  that  “a  number  of  swine  belonging  to  the  stable  [of  the  Boston 
and  Worcester  Stage  Company]  with  singular  presence  of  mind  took 
refuge  under  a pile  of  old  lumber,  which  protected  them  from  the  re- 
flected heat  until  morning,  when  they  were  taken  uninjured  from  among 
the  fallen  rafters  and  decayed  embers  which  surrounded  them.” 


30 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


VISIT  OF  CHARLES  DICKENS 

February  5-7,  1842 

It  is  interesting  to  see  the  accounts  the  Worcester  newspapers  give 
of  Dickens’s  visit  to  Governor  John  Davis,  at  his  home  on  Lincoln 
Street. 

The  Spy  of  February  9th  said: 

Charles  Dickens  (Boz)  the  celebrated  author,  with  his  wife  arrived  in  town 
on  the  evening  of  the  5th,  and  left  for  Hartford  and  Springfield  on  the  morning 
of  the  7th.  While  here,  many  of  our  inhabitants  called  on  them  at  the  mansion 
; of  Governor  Davis,  where  they  staid  during  their  tarry  in  town. 

. The  ^gis  had  on  the  editorial  page  a brief  sketch  of  the  author’s 
life,  and  a most  graphic  description  of  his  appearance: 

Mr.  Dickens 

The  gentleman  whose  popularity  is  coextensive  with  the  circulation  of  his 
writings  came  to  Worcester  on  Saturday  evening,  with  Gov.  Davis  at  whose 
mansion  he  passed  the  Sabbath,  and  left  town  on  Monday  morning  for  Hart- 
ford. 

The  consent  of  Mrs.  Davis,  being  understood,  our  citizens,  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, called  during  the  Saturday  evening  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  distin- 
guished strangers — the  ladies,  of  course,  to  see  Mrs.  Dickens,  and  the  gentle- 
, men  for  the  purpose  of  manifesting  civility  to  both. 

As  Mr.  Dickens,  by  this  time,  is  probably  beyond  the  reach  of  our  remarks, 
we  venture  upon  a brief  description  of  his  person,  for  the  benefit  exclusively  of 
those  who  have  had  no  opportunity  to  see  the  lion  of  the  day. 

In  the  first  place  we  must  discard  all  the  prints  that  have  been  issued,  pro- 
fessing to  be  a likeness  of  “Boz.”  There  is  not  one  of  them  that  does  not 
' give  an  entirely  incorrect  impression  of  his  appearance.  Neither  his  features, 
nor  the  tout  ensemble  of  his  expression,  are,  in  our  opinion,  represented  with  an 
! approximation  to  fidelity.  Some  of  the  portraits  have  a thoughtful  and  pensive 
; air,  with  a dark,  deep  look  to  the  eye,  well  enough  adapted  to  the  character  of 
a quiet  observer  and  reflective  student;  others  represent  a shorter  and  rounder 
; visage,  with  the  common  countenance  of  a good  looking,  good  tempered  and 
1 intelligent  young  m.an;  from  all  of  them  that  we  have  seen,  would  be  received 
! the  impression  of  Ionic  locks,  fair  smooth  forehead  and  cheeks  and  regular 
' outlines  of  features;  in  none  are  the  lines,  nerves  or  muscles  of  the  face 
I delineated  with  any  truth  to  nature.  In  fact  the  lines  are  deeply  marked,  the 
nerves  and  muscles  strongly  developed  and  active,  arching  eyebrows  in  con- 
1,  versation,  and  giving  motion  and  variety  of  expression  to  every  part  of  the 
countenance.  The  reality,  therefore,  accorded  very  little  with  our  imagination 
■ of  his  appearance. 

' We  found  a middle  sized  person  in  a brown  frock  coat,  a red  figured  vest, 
j somewhat  of  the  flash  order,  and  a fancy  scarf  cravat,  that  concealed  the  dickey 
and  was  fastened  to  the  bosom  in  rather  voluminous  folds  by  a double  pin  and 
' chain.  His  proportions  were  well  rounded  and  filled  the  dress  he  wore.  His 
hair,  which  was  long  and  dark,  grew  low  upon  his  brow,  had  a wavy  kink 
I where  it  started  from  the  head,  and  was  naturally  or  artificially  corkscrewed 
1 as  it  fell  on  either  side  of  his  face.  His  forehead  retreated  gradually  from  his 

31 


I 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


eyes,  without  any  marked  protuberance,  save  at  the  outer  angle,  the  upper 
portion  of  which  formed  a prominent  ridge  a little  within  the  assigned  position 
of  the  organ  of  ideality.  The  skin  on  that  portion  of  the  brow  which  was  not 
concealed  by  the  hair,  instead  of  being  light  and  smooth,  flushed  as  readily  as 
any  part  of  the  face,  and  partook  of  its  general  character  of  flexibility.  The 
whole  region  about  the  eyes  was  prominent,  with  a noticeable  development  of 
nerves  and  vessels  indicating,  say  the  phrenologists,  great  vigor  in  the  intel- 
lectual organs  with  which  they  are  connected.  The  eyeballs  completely  filled 
the  sockets.  The  aperture  of  the  lids  was  not  large,  nor  the  eye  uncommonly 
clear  or  bright,  but  quick,  moist  and  expressive.  The  nose  was  slightly 
aquiline — the  mouth  of  moderate  dimensions,  making  no  great  display  of  the 
teeth,  the  facial  muscles  occasionally  drawing  the  upper  lip  most  strongly  on  the 
left  side,  as  the  mouth  opened  in  speaking.  His  features,  taken  together,  were 
well  proportioned,  of  a glowing  and  cordial  aspect,  with  more  animation  than 
grace,  and  more  intelligence  than  beauty. 

We  will  close  this  off-hand  description  without  going  more  minutely  into  the 
anatomy  of  Mr.  Dickens,  by  saying  that  he  \vears  a gold  watch  guard  over  his 
vest  and  a shaggy  great  coat  of  bear  or  buffalo  skin  that  would  excite  the 
admiration  of  a Kentucky  huntsman.  In  short,  you  frequently  meet  with 
similar  looking  men,  at  theatres  and  at  other  public  places,  and  you  would  infer 
that  he  found  his  enjoyments  in  the  scenes  of  actual  life,  rather  than  in  the  re- 
tirements of  study:  and  that  he  would  be  likely  to  be  about  town  and  to  witness 
those  scenes  which  he  describes  with  such  unrivalled  precision  and  power.  We 
believe  it  is  well  understood  that  he  draws  his  characters  and  incidents  less 
from  imagination  than  from  memory, — depending  for  his  resources  less  upon 
reflection  and  study  than  upon  observation.  His  writings  bear  slight  evidence 
of  reading,  and  he  seldom,  if  ever  quotes  from  books.  His  wonderful  percep- 
tions, his  acute  sensibilities,  and  his  graphic  fancy  furnish  the  means  by  which 
his  fame  has  been  created. 

Mr.  Dickens  was  born  February  7th,  1812.  He  was  therefore  thirty  years 
of  age  on  Monday  last.  The  early  maturity  of  his  genius  and  reputation  has 
but  few  parallels.  May  he  long  live  to  edify  and  amuse  the  world,  and  to 
receive  the  reward  of  praise  and  emolument  that  is  justly  his  due. 

The  Palladium,  because  it  was  politically  out  of  sympathy  with  Gov- 
ernor Davis,  contained  a brief  notice: 

“Boz,  ” the  author  of  Pickwick,  etc.,  with  his  wife,  came  up  from  Boston  on 
Saturday,  with  Governor  Davis  and  passed  the  Sabbath  with  him.  The 
Governor  introduced  his  general  friends  to  his  guest  on  Saturday  evening,  and 
his  particular  friends  to  him  on  Sunday  evening. 

In  1842,  Dickens  was  already  the  author  of  “Pickwick,”  “Oliver 
Twist,”  “Nicholas  NIckleby,”  “The  Old  Curiosity  Shop”  and  “Barn- 
aby  Rudge,”  so  there  were  many  people  who  tried  to  catch  a glimpse  of 
him.  His  impressions  of  Worcester  are  written  in  his  “American 
Notes”: 

A sharp  dry  wind  and  a slight  frost  had  so  hardened  the  roads  when  we 
alighted  at  Worcester,  that  their  furrowed  tracks  were  like  ridges  of  granite. 
There  was  the  usual  aspect  of  newness  on  every  object,  of  course.  All  the 
buildings  looked  as  If  they  had  been  built  and  painted  that  morning,  and  could 
be  taken  down  on  Monday  with  very  little  trouble.  In  the  keen  evening  air, 
every  sharp  outline  looked  a hundred  times  sharper  than  ever.  The  clean 

32 


From  a rare  portrait 


Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 


CHARLES  DICKENS 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


cardboard  colonnades  had  no  more  perspective  than  a Chinese  bridge  or  a 
tea-cup,  and  appeared  equally  well  calculated  for  use.  The  razor-like  edges 
of  the  detached  cottages  seemed  to  cut  the  very  wind  as  it  whistled  against 
them,  and  to  send  it  smarting  on  Its  way  with  a shriller  cry  than  before.  Those 
slightly-built  wooden  dwellings  behind  which  the  sun  was  setting  with  a brilliant 
lustre,  could  be  so  looked  through  and  through,  that  the  idea  of  any  inhabitant 
being  able  to  hide  himself  from  the  public  gaze,  or  to  have  any  secrets  from  the 
public  eye,  was  not  entertainable  for  a moment.  Even  where  a blazing  fire 
shone  through  the  uncurtained  windows  of  some  distant  house,  it  had  the 
air  of  being  newly-lighted,  and  of  lacking  warmth;  and  instead  of  awakening 
thoughts  of  a snug  chamber,  bright  with  faces  that  first  saw  the  light  round 
that  same  hearth,  and  ruddy  with  warm  hangings,  it  came  upon  one  suggestive 
of  the  smell  of  new  mortar  and  damp  walls. 

So  I thought,  at  least,  that  evening.  Next  morning  when  the  sun  was  shining 
brightly,  and  the  clear  church  bells  were  ringing,  and  sedate  people  in  their 
best  clothes  enlivened  the  pathway  near  at  hand  and  dotted  the  distant  thread 
of  road,  there  was  a pleasant  Sabbath  peacefulness  on  everything,  which  it 
was  good  to  feel.  It  would  have  been  the  better  for  an  old  church;  better 
still  for  some  old  graves;  but  as  It  was,  a wholesome  repose  and  tranquillity 
pervaded  the  scene,  which,  after  the  restless  ocean  and  the  hurried  city,  had  a 
doubly  grateful  influence  on  the  spirits. 


CINERY  TWICHELL’S  EAMOUS  RIDE 

January  1846 

Anything  Ginery  Twichell  did  was  of  interest  to  the  people  of 
Worcester.  A stage  driver  vied  with  the  postmaster  or  the  leading  mer- 
chant In  knowing  and  being  hailed  with  friendliness  by  the  greatest 
number  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  And  Ginery  Twichell  was  one  of  the 
most  affable  of  his  profession.  At  nineteen,  he  began  to  take  charge  of 
the  Barre  and  Worcester  stage,  and  the  testimony  of  every  one  who  rode 
with  him  was  that  there  was  no  comfort  of  his  passengers  which  was 
overlooked,  or  no  service  which  he  did  not  perform  with  care  and 
infinite  good  will.  In  ten  years’  time,  he  owned  two  hundred  horses, 
and  until  the  Introduction  of  the  railroad,  his  stage  lines  were  the  chief 
means  of  transportation  In  three  or  four  states. 

His  love  of  adventure  and  skill  as  a horseman  enabled  him  to  take 
the  personal  responsibility  for  the  carrying  of  news  also,  and  it  was  In 
performing  this  Important  task  that  his  record  rides  were  made.  It 
was  his  custom  to  collect  the  county  election  returns  for  the  Boston 
Atlas,  and  once  he  won  great  praise  for  traveling  most  of  the  route  alone, 
because  the  weather  conditions  were  so  bad  that  the  men,  who  were 
to  bring  their  returns  from  remote  places  to  a central  meeting  place, 
did  not  come. 

But  the  feat  which  made  him  famous  was  his  ride  on  January  23, 
1846.  The  question  of  the  boundaries  and  the  title  of  the  future  state 
of  Oregon  was  at  that  time  before  Congress,  after  long-drawn-out 
arguing  with  Great  Britain  about  her  claims  upon  it.  President  Polk’s 
message  In  December,  1845,  had  asserted  confidently  that  the  LInIted 

34 


"/■ 

Jo. 


OaXci  lioCteA/-^  ^ i'Vu-<C^  ■ — 

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'*C'Ct  VttXf  • CLyttJI i<\XL4itU'  >*\.a/lciA  ka^  oCt^/i/^^Ua.  ji^ 

rii/A ()'  pU^  lK,  . Cl.  ^'«/»vtu/i/  Soau^iXj  . Ct  Jk^coUm^  "-  'ie^'cJj  ^ ^ 

A ,0\/Si^  cti.  ^-cc^^c-^  If^nyK  «.  (;> 

■‘  c^to  y<rv>-  ' ^olmcL  Sia./uaj  • 

CA~'t\^  Vtf  Vv^Ay^Ica  4/»t  ,/(r  / 4/U7  ^■O^l'^Lv  • J f''(t  /LcTCc^ 

Vt^Hv"  ^‘^y.  , lc*yi'‘  <VH<5^  -fLvt-o  <ry\j  • evt*-^  LvLe^yA^x.  A# 

.0  ((tCCiv.  <x  j'-<K/ha-^x^  (-»,Ax^  h ' yKtAfx^j4iJUr^  Jit  ' Vt  vu,.>Cviv^ 

, vVh.  jfutJv  ay}  it^  ^<rt  'hup<~(^ 

fjL.^  ^ ihf^^  ^4cC_-  Xr^  c^itc^ 

«1  ^ 5v^M/3n/^^  a^ei  ^(rj‘J  0 A UtUc/uA'  J 4^<_, 

v,v<>A  irC.0.^*^  ^A.A^iri^  ; ''•W.  6^  C<r>t^^ 

Wwd  c*^^-  /t:  cv^'Cc/c^ 

cc/<  Avi>  Vmax  , Aa.  lrCtft>^  t>»w  c^tr».jL  ^ 

I tuJcAVuA./ 


From  the  original  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society 

AN  EXTRACT  FROM  PICKWICK  PAPERS 
[Dickens  wrote  these  lines  as  a souvenir  for  one  of  the  ladies  in  Governor  Davis’s  family.] 
“Sammy,”  said  Mr.  Weller,  looking  cautiously  round.  “My  duty  to  your  Gov’ner,  and  tell 
him  if  he  thinks  better  o’  this  here  bis’ness  to  commoonicate  with  me.  Me  and  a cabinet  maker 
has  dewised  a plan  for  gettin’  him  out  o’  pris’n.  A planner,  Samivel  — a planner,”  said  Mr. 
Weller,  striking  his  son  on  the  chest  with  the  back  of  his  hand:  and  falling  back  a step  or  two. 
“What  do  you  mean.^”  said  Sam. 

“There  ain’t  no  vurks  in  it,”  whispered  his  father.  “It’ll  hold  him  easy,  with  his  hat  and  shoes 
on;  and  breathe  through  the  legs  vich  is  holler.  Have  a passage  ready  taken  for  ’Merriker.  The 
’Merrikln  gov’ment  vill  never  give  him  up,  ven  vunce  they  finds  as  he’s  got  money  to  spend, 
Sammy.  Let  the  gov’ner  stop  there  till  Mrs.  Bardell’s  dead  or  Mr.  Dodson  and  Fogg’s  hung, 
vich  last  ewent  I think  is  the  most  likely  to  happen  first,  Sammy;  and  then  let  him  come  back 
and  write  a book  about  the  ’Merrikins  as’ll  pay  all  his  expenses  and  more,  if  he  blows  ’em  up 
enough.” 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


1-rom  a photograph  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

THE  FIRST  BRICK  BLOCK  IN  WORCESTER 
It  is  still  standing  at  School  and  Thomas  Streets. 

States  had  an  assured  right  to  annex  Oregon.  Dispatches  from  England 
were  therefore  awaited  with  great  interest,  and  each  of  the  New  York 
papers  wanted  to  print  first  the  news  which  the  steamer  “Hibernia” 
would  bring  to  Boston. 

The  Herald^  due  to  the  usual  enterprise  of  James  Gordon  Bennett, 
its  editor,  secured  the  exclusive  right,  so  far  as  newspaper  representa- 
tives were  concerned,  to  the  quickest  means  of  transmission.  It  made 
arrangements  for  the  dispatches  to  be  brought  on  a special  engine  by  the 
Boston  and  Norwich  Railroad,  which  connected  by  boat  with  Long 
Island  and  thence  to  New  York  City.  The  only  condition  on  which  the 
other  papers  could  secure  such  direct  means  was  that  the  engine  they 
chartered  would  leave  Boston  fifteen  minutes  after  the  Herald^ s.  This 
condition  was  accepted,  and  when  the  second  engine  reached  Worces- 
ter, Ginery  Twichell  met  it  and  lost  no  time  in  taking  the  dispatches, 
and  spurring  his  horse  toward  Hartford.  It  was  real  January  weather, 
and  the  snowdrifts  were  high.  In  three  hours  and  twenty  minutes 
Ginery  Twichell  rode  sixty-six  miles  (with  a fresh  horse  at  every  ten 
miles)  and  arrived  at  Hartford  in  time  to  get  a train  which  carried  him 
thirty-six  more  miles  to  New  Haven.  At  New  Haven  another  horse  was 

36 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


ready  for  him,  and  he  started  off  again,  on  the  seventy-six-mile  journey 
to  New  York.  The  result  was  that  the  Tribune  and  the  Journal  of 
Commerce  had  the  news  sooner  than  the  Herald. 

The  picture  “The  Unrivalled  Express  Rider”  tells  the  story  of  his 
experiences  along  the  way  better  than  words.  It  has  the  added  value 
of  being  a good  likeness  of  Ginery  Twichell,  who  later  became  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad,  a member  of  Congress  and 
a man  of  influence  and  popularity. 


FIRST  CITY  ELECTION 
April  8,  1848 

No  particular  issue  was  involved  in  the  first  city  election.  For  many 
years  the  Whigs  were  the  dominant  party  in  Worcester,  and  in  the  town 
elections  they  usually  won  the  majority  of  offices.  The  first  year 
under  the  city  charter,  however,  an  amalgamation  of  parties  was  at- 
tempted. Two  tickets  were  made — the  candidates,  regardless  of 
their  leanings  in  national  politics,  being  classed  under  either  of  two 
heads — the  Citizens  Party  and  the  Temperance  Party.  Levi  Lincoln, 
former  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  the  Reverend  Rodney 
A.  Miller,  minister  of  the  Old  South  Church,  ran  a close  race  for  mayor. 
The  results,  taken  from  the  jEgis  of  April  12,  1848,  were; 

The  election  of  officers  for  the  City  of  Worcester  took  place  on  Saturday. 
The  Hon.  Levi  Lincoln  was  elected  Mayor.  The  votes  were: 


Whole  number 

1529 

For  Levi  Lincoln 

833 

“ Rodnev  A.  Miller 

653 

Scattering 

For  Aldermen 

43 

Ward  No.  i 

Perley  Goddard  .... 

1497 

“ “ 2 

Benj.  F.  Thomas 

858 

<<  <<  ^ 

John  W.  Lincoln 

855 

“ “ 4 

James  S.  Woodworth. 

Wm.  B.  Fox  .... 

1527 

U ((  ^ 

1533 

James  Estabrook 

838 

((  t<  ^ 

Isaac  Davis  .... 

1384 

“ “ 8 

Stephen  Salisbury 

863 

u ..  2 

Ichabod  Washburn 

680 

“ “ 3 

Wm.  A.  Draper  .... 

683 

“ “ 6 

Lewis  Chapin  .... 

681 

“ “ 8 

Wm.  T.  Merrifield 

667 

Scattering 

38 

The  first  eight  above  named  are  elected, — the  lowest  on  the  ticket  by  a 
majority  of  80. 


37 


From  a print  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

WORCESTER  IN  1850 
A plan  showing  the  central  part  of  the  city. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


FORMATION  OF  THE  FREE  S(')IL  PARTY 

June  21,  184S 

Seventy-five  years  before  the  presidential  election  of  1848  turned 
upon  the  axis  of  Abolition,  in  their  to-wn  meeting,  the  people  of  Worces- 
ter had  instructed  Joshua  Bigelow,  their  representative  to  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  ‘‘to  resist  the  most  distant  approaches  to  slavery.”  It  was 
fitting,  then,  that  Worcester  men  should  crowd  the  City  Hall  and  make 
it  echo  with  their  approval  of  Charles  Allen’s  speech,  which  in  one 
evening  did  more  definite  harm  to  slavery,  and  showed  a clearer  way 
to  bring  about  its  settlement,  than  years  of  crafty  compromising  by 
ambitious  statesmen. 

Charles  Allen  had  a presence  and  a gift  of  oratory  which  had  stirred 
audiences  before.  He  had  been  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
until  1844,  and  he  held  a position  of  honor  in  Worcester,  where  he  had 
lived  all  his  life.  But  it  was  his  courage  on  this  occasion  which  inspired 
him  to  eloquence  he  had  never  before  equaled,  — and  which  brought 
him  before  the  whole  country  as  a man  of  unflinching  resolution.  Be- 
cause he  dared  to  put  into  words  the  questions  which  the  leading  men 
of  his  day  were  evading,  he  deserves  forever  a place  among  famous 
Abolitionists. 

Not  only  in  Worcester  did  Charles  Allen’s  voice  rise  in  protest  against 
the  tacit  countenancing  of  slavery  by  the  New  England  Whigs  who 
really  believed  it  to  be  a wrong.  He  had  been  chosen  as  the  Worcester 
County  delegate  to  the  Whig  National  Convention  which  had  been  held 
in  Philadelphia  on  June  7th.  The  Whigs  had  a difficult  time  to  select  a 
candidate  that  year  who  would  be  neutral  in  his  views  on  the  slavery 
question,  and  yet  popular  enough  to  be  elected.  As  history  shows,  that 
was  a tense  time  in  politics.  Every  new  state  which  was  admitted  to 
the  Union  brought  before  the  people  the  slavery  problem,  and  so  im- 
portant an  issue  had  it  become  that  the  Whigs  were  unwilling  to  make  a 
declaration  of  their  policy  toward  it,  lest  they  lose  the  election.  They 
therefore  adopted  no  platform,  and  chose  Zachary  Taylor,  the  hero  of 
the  Mexican  War,  as  their  candidate.  In  this  way  it  was  hoped  that 
the  Whigs  from  New  England, — the  “Conscience  Whigs”  as  they  were 
called, — who  opposed  slavery,  would  be  appeased  as  well  as  the  “ Cot- 
ton Whigs”  of  the  South,  who  wanted  slavery  for  the  commercial  ad- 
vantages of  it.  A split  in  the  party  which  this  subject  was  threatening 
to  cause  was  thus  thought  to  be  prevented. 

But  Charles  Allen  had  heard  read  in  the  district  convention  which 
made  him  its  delegate: 

Resolved:  that  in  addition  to  the  former  issues  between  the  Whig  Parties  and 
their  opponents,  we  recognize  as  another  and  most  important  one,  our  uncom- 
promising opposition  to  any  further  extension  of  slavery  over  any  territory  of 
the  United  States,  or  to  any  legislature  by  the  National  government  the  specific 
object  of  which  is  to  sustain  the  institution  of  slavery. 


39 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


Resolved:  that  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention  no  Candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency can  receive  the  electoral  vote  of  Massachusetts  who  is  not  publicly 
known  to  be  opposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery. 

Zachary  Taylor  was  not  publicly  opposed  to  slavery, — in  fact,  he 
himself  was  a slaveholder. 

Judge  Allen  arose  and  addressed  the  Convention.  He  made  himself 
heard  with  difficulty,  for  the  minds  of  all  the  delegates  were  practically 
made  up  to  the  acceptance  of  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  as  the  safest 
men  to  head  the  ticket.  “I  express  for  myself,”  he  said,  “what  I 
believe  to  be  the  sentiments  of  my  state  and  I say  that  this  cannot  go 
forth  as  the  unanimous  voice  of  this  Convention.  You  have  put  one 
straw  too  much  upon  the  back  of  Northern  endurance.  The  Whig 
Party  are  not  to  be  allowed  to  nominate  their  own  statesmen.  We 
declare  the  Whig  Party  of  the  Union  this  day  dissolved.” 

This  statement  created  a furor  in  the  Convention.  Judge  Allen  was 
ridiculed  and  rebuked  not  the  least  by  the  delegates  from  the  state  of 
Massachusetts.  Henry  Wilson  of  Natick  alone  stood  by  him. 

The  reception  Charles  Allen  received  on  the  night  of  June  2ist  when 
he  came  to  give  his  report  of  the  Convention  at  a meeting  which  Mr.  H. 
H.  Chamberlin  had  called  to  take  place  in  the  City  Hall,  was  not  such 
a one  as  a bolter  from  a National  Convention  might  expect  to  receive. 
He  was  cheered  as  he  entered  the  door,  and  the  hall  resounded  with 
applause  as  he  came  to  the  platform.  William  W.  Rice  in  his  account 
of  this  meeting  points  out  the  fact  that  the  press  and  the  clergy  gave 
little  attention  to  it,  and  that  the  men  who  attended  it  were  the  “men 
from  the  shops  who  were  really  rulers  of  the  city  then,  as  they  have  been 
ever  since.” 

Judge  Allen  spoke  for  two  hours.  In  his  youth  he  had  read  the  Greek 
and  Roman  orators,  and  he  knew  the  value  of  a rhetorical  question. 
He  said  that  he  believed  he  had  done  nothing  more  than  to  carry  out 
completely  the  duties  the  Worcester  County  people  had  given  him  when 
they  had  made  him  their  delegate.  “In  the  Convention,”  he  said,  “ the 
inquiry  was  put  around  to  the  delegates  of  Massachusetts  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  information,  ‘If  General  Taylor  is  nominated,  will  your 
district  support  him.^’  and  when  they  came  around  to  me,  I said,  ‘No, 
gentlemen,  my  district  will  not  support  him.’  ‘There  are  men  in  your 
district  who  do  not  think  as  you  do  upon  that  subject,’  I was  told. 
‘Sir,  who  said  so.?’  I asked.  ‘Governor  Lincoln.  Not  by  him  only 
but  by  others  was  it  reported  that  there  was  a strong  sentiment  here 
for  General  Taylor,  and  that  the  County  of  Worcester  would  go  strongly 
in  his  favor,’  was  the  reply.  ‘Now  [turning  to  the  Convention],  am  I 
right  or  was  he.?’” 

The  shouts  which  answered  Judge  Allen  left  no  doubt  in  his  mind 
that  his  hearers  were  with  him  heartily.  “Most  of  us  have  belonged 
to  the  Whig  Party,”  he  went  on  when  the  enthusiasm  had  quieted. 
“We  have  professed  to  be  averse  to  the  extension  of  slavery.  The 
question  is  not  here  whether  we  would  eradicate  it  where  it  exists,  but 
whether  we  are  opposed  to  its  extension.  Well,  Gentlemen,  I did  not 

40 


From  the  photograph  made  by  Brady  in  ff ashington,  February  Q,  1864  Collection  of  F.  H . Meserve 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

Mr.  Robert  Lincoln  considers  this  the  best  likeness  of  his  father. 


i 

t 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


eat  my  words  at  Philadelphia.  Will  you  at  the  polls  When  I de- 
clared the  Whig  Party  was  dissolved,  I declared  a fact.” 

After  an  exhortation  to  the  young  men  to  go  forth  and  speak  for 
what  they  knew  was  right,  Judge  Allen  finished  speaking.  As  he  did 
so,  his  brother,  the  Reverend  George  Allen,  came  to  the  platform,  and 
proposed  the  memorable  resolution: 

Resolved:  that  Massachusetts  wears  no  chains  and  spurns  all  bribes;  that 
Massachusetts  goes  now  and  will  forever  go  for  free  soil  and  free  men,  for  free 
lips  and  a free  press,  for  a free  land  and  a free  world. 

“It  was  adopted  with  shouts,”  says  W.  W.  Rice,  “and  the  great 
meeting  adjourned,  and  Its  thousands  poured  out  Into  the  communities 
whence  they  came,  devoted  missionaries  of  the  cause  of  free  soil  and 
free  men.” 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  ADDRESSED  A WHIG  MEETING  IN 
THE  CITY  HALL 

September  12,  1S48 

Abraham  Lincoln  carried  away  from  Worcester  at  least  one  vivid 
memory.  That  was  of  the  dinner  which  the  hospitable  Levi  Lincoln 
gave  at  his  home  on  Elm  Street  In  honor  of  some  of  the  men  who  had 
gathered  for  the  Whig  Convention  In  1848. 

In  1861,  Lincoln  received,  in  the  White  House,  Henry  J.  Gardner, 
Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  from  1855  to  1858,  who  had  been  also  a 
guest  and  a delegate  from  Boston  to  the  Convention.  He  greeted  him 
warmly.  “You  and  I are  no  strangers,”  he  said.  “We  dined  together 
at  Governor  Lincoln’s  in  1848.”  “Yes,”  he  went  on,  “I  had  been  chosen 
to  Congress  then  from  the  Wild  West,  and,  with  hayseed  in  my  hair, 
I went  to  Massachusetts,  the  most  cultured  state  In  the  Union,  to  take 
a few  lessons  in  deportment.  That  was  a fine  dinner — a superb 
dinner — by  far  the  finest  I had  ever  seen.  And  the  great  men  who  were 
there,  too!”  He  named  most  of  them. 

The  speech  Lincoln  made  in  Worcester  Is  the  only  one  he  ever  made  in 
New  England  which  has  been  preserved.  It  was  not  delivered  to  the 
Convention  proper,  but  at  a rally  meeting  arranged  by  Alexander  Bul- 
lock on  the  evening  before  the  Convention  opened. 

Henry  J.  Gardner  gives  an  account  of  the  impression  Lincoln  made 
upon  him.  In  a letter  which  Herndon’s  Life  of  Lincoln  contains: 

That  evening  there  was  held  a mass  meeting  of  delegates  and  others,  and 
Lincoln  was  announced  to  speak.  No  one  there  had  ever  heard  him  on  the 
stump  before  and  in  fact  knew  anything  about  him.  When  he  was  announced, 
his  tall,  angular  bent  form  and  his  manifest  awkwardness  and  low  tone  of 
voice  promised  nothing  interesting.  But  he  soon  warmed  to  his  work.  His 
style  and  manner  of  speaking  were  novelties  in  the  East.  He  repeated  anec- 

42 


I 


HISTORIC  E\'ENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  a print 


If  ’orcester  Historical  Society  collection 

WORCESTER  RAILROAD  DEPOT  IN  1854 


dotes,  told  stories,  admirable  in  humor  and  point,  Interspersed  with  bursts  of 
true  eloquence  which  constantly  brought  down  the  house.  His  sarcasm  of 
Cass,  Van  Buren,  and  the  Democratic  Party  was  inimitable,  and  whenever 
he  attempted  to  stop,  the  shouts  of  “Go  on!”  “Go  on!”  were  deafening.  He 
probably  spoke  over  an  hour,  but  so  great  was  the  enthusiasm,  time  could  not 
be  measured. 

The  local  newspaper,  while  it  did  not  print  the  speech  or  even  quo- 
tations from  It,  was  enthusiastic:  “For  conclusive  reasoning  and  ready 
wit,  the  speech  Is  unsurpassed  In  the  campaign.  It  was  listened  to  by 
the  crowded  audience  with  an  untiring  Interest,  applauded  during  its 
delivery  and  enthusiastically  cheered  at  its  close.” 

The  Boston  Advertiser  printed  the  fullest  report  of  what  Lincoln  said. 
He  was  whole-heartedly  for  Zachary  Taylor,  and  believed  then  that 
slavery  would  eventually  have  its  death  blow  through  a strong  Whig 
Party.  Hon.  Ira  M.  Barton,  president  of  the  Rough  and  Ready  Club, 
presided  at  the  meeting,  and  it  was  Ensign  F.  Kellogg  of  Pittsfield  who 
Introduced  Lincoln. 

Lincoln  was  not  prominent  in  the  Convention,  but  his  name  is  among 
those  who  made  “ short  and  happy  speeches  ” on  Wednesday  morning  at 
the  Foster  Street  Station.  Arthur  P.  Rugg  is  authority  for  the  fact 
that  he  wore  on  this  occasion  a long  linen  duster.  He  stopped  at  the 
Worcester  House. 


43 


From  a print  Worcester  Historical  Society  collection 

LINCOLN  SQUARE  IN  1852 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


I’HE  KANSAS  EMKiRATIOX  MEETEXG 
May  4,  1854 

One  cold  morning  in  early  Alay,  while  the  rain  poured  dismally, 
Edward  Everett  Hale  addressed  a meeting  in  the  town  hall.  Although 
the  newspapers  of  that  time  gave  little  space  to  what  was  said  there, 
the  great  preacher  himself  wrote  an  impressive  account  of  it,  and  of  the 
spirit  of  the  men  who  were  present. 

In  the  great  Town  Hall,  in  which  I had  often  spoken  to  audiences  of  twelve 
hundred  people,  there  were  perhaps  one  or  two  hundred  men. 

Dr.  Hale  wrote  in  his  article  on  the  Kansas  Emigration.  It  is  to  be 
found  in  Samuel  Swett  Green’s  compilation  of  the  History  of  Worcester 
which  Duane  Hamilton  Hurd  included  in  his  History  of  Worcester 
County. 

They  had  the  look  of  determination  which  belongs  to  the  Xew  Englander 
when  he  is  well  wound  up  and  ready  to  start.  People  who  were  engaged  at 
their  daily  business  did  not  come  to  the  meeting.  As  I recollect  there  w^re 
few  persons  there  I had  ever  seen  before,  but  I made  some  friends  there  who 
have  been  my  friends  to  this  day.  A heavy  storm  was  raging  out  of  doors. 
There  was  no  ‘buncombe’  nor  ‘popcock’  in  what  we  said.  I was  there  to 
explain  to  them  the  practical  method  of  going  to  Kansas,  and  as  well  as  I knew 
how,  I did  so.  These  men  asked  questions, — and  I gave  them  the  best 
answers  that  I could.  I said  that  w'e  should  arrange  for  parties  of  two  or  three 
hundred  to  go  together,  that  we  proposed  to  build  for  each  colony,  a central 
boarding  house,  or  boarding  houses,  in  wKich  men  could  live  wTile  they  were 
preparing  their  houses,  and  that  we  should  make  ourselves  responsible  for 
saw-mills,  printing  presses,  and  other  necessary  machinery.  All  these  promises 
we  kept.  Mr.  Thayer  bade  me  say  that  there  would  be  two  thousand  men  from 
Massachusetts  there  in  a short  time.  The  prophecy  of  this  was  more  than 
fulfilled. 

Dr.  Charles  Robinson  of  Fitchburg,  later  the  Governor  of  Kansas, 
also  spoke  to  the  gathering.  He  had  just  returned  from  exploring  the 
land  which  they  were  to  occupy  and  he  had  lived  at  one  time  in  Cali- 
fornia, so  his  information  was  given  from  personal  experience  in  pioneer 
life.  Mr.  Mallory  and  Mr.  Fay  also  made  speeches.  Eli  Thayer  could 
not  be  present  on  account  of  illness. 

But  to  Eli  Thayer,  the  founder  of  the  Oread  Institute,  Worcester 
owes  the  entire  gratitude  for  conceiving  and  bringing  to  maturity  the 
scheme  for  “Squatter  Sovereignty”  in  Kansas,  with  which  history  will 
always  connect  its  name  as  well  as  his.  He  spared  no  effort  or  no 
money  to  make  the  project  a success.  His  careful  planning  anticipated 
the  needs  of  the  settlers  he  sent  out  to  Kansas,  just  as  thoroughly  as 
his  fervor  won  people  to  the  support  of  his  idea. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  the  Missouri  Compromise  in  1820  had  pro- 
vided that  slavery  could  exist  in  Missouri  and  all  future  states  south  of 
it,  but  that  north  of  the  36°  30'  parallel  the  territory  was  free.  The 

45 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


opening  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  to  settlement,  which  was  agitated  in 
1854,  would  repeal  the  compromise,  as  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill 
contained  a clause  that  the  first  settlers  should  determine  by  vote 
whether  or  not  they  wanted  slavery. 

This  chance  for  “Squatter  Sovereignty”  would  result  in  a triumph 
for  the  North  or  for  the  South,  according  to  the  character  of  the  people 
who  went  out  there.  What  could  give  a stronger  blow  to  slavery  than 
an  organized  colony  whose  members  had  all  their  lives  looked  upon  it 
as  a moral  wrong This  was  Eli  Thayer’s  thought,  and  in  March,  j 
1854,  he  told  of  his  plan  at  a meeting  in  the  town  hall.  He  obtained  a 
charter  for  forming  the  Massachusetts  Emigrant  Aid  Company.  Two 
Worcester  men  were  members  with  Mr.  Thayer  of  its  executive  com- 
mittee: Alexander  H.  Bullock,  who  later  became  Governor  of  the  state, 
and  Edward  Everett  Hale.  It  was  Eli  Thayer  who  sent  Dr.  Robinson 
to  Kansas  on  a trip  of  investigation.  It  was  he  who  hired  halls  for 
meetings,  and  had  notices  printed  which  were  written  mostly  by  Dr. 
Hale. 

Twenty  dollars  was  the  sum  each  emigrant  paid  and  the  company 
supplied  tents,  hatchets  and  plows. 

The  train  which  took  the  first  group  went  through  Worcester  on 
July  17th,  stopping  to  take  aboard  “twenty  strong  young  men.” 
The  total  number  leaving  Boston  was  43.  “Our  friends  will  soon  be  in 
Kansas,  the  Eden  of  the  West,”  said  the  Spy  the  next  day,  “and  in  a 
short  time  will  be  able  to  report  progress,  so  that  a second  delegation  of 
emigrants  with  all  the  elements  of  society  and  civilization — wives, 
children,  printing  presses,  ballot  boxes,  schoolmasters  and  ministers 
may  join  them.” 

Kansas  was  admitted  as  a free  state  in  1861. 


d’HE  BUdAlAN  RlCrr 

October  ju,  18^4 

The  Reverend  Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson  and  Alartin  Stowell 
were  arrested  for  taking  part  in  a demonstration  in  Boston  against  the 
United  States  oificers  who  led  Anthony  Burns  back  to  slavery.  But 
when  a deputy  marshal  came  to  Worcester,  supposedly  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  away  William  Jankins,  one  of  its  respected  negro  residents,  it 
was  these  ardent  Abolitionists,  together  with  Stephen  S.  Foster  and 
George  Frisbie  Hoar,  who  controlled  their  resentment,  and  by  their 
words  and  their  brave  conduct  made  the  story  of  the  Butman  riot  one 
of  the  proudest  records  the  city  has. 

News  went  rapidly  around  Worcester  that  Asa  O.  Butman  was  regis- 
tered at  the  American  Temperance  House  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Foster  Streets,  almost  as  soon  as  he  arrived.  The  Spy  published  it 
in  a handbill,  as  a warning  to  the  negroes  in  Worcester,  many  of  whom 
had  lived  there  as  free  men  for  a long  time.  At  an  anti-slavery  meeting, 

46 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  a print  Courtesy  of  the  IVorcester  Public  Library 

MAP  OF  WORCESTER  IN  1878 

which  was  held  in  the  Town  Hall,  Sunday  evening,  the  fact  was  an- 
nounced also,  and  when  the  Town  Vigilance  Committee  went  after 
the  meeting  to  watch  the  hotel,  they  were  accompanied  by  enough  angry 
people  to  alarm  the  man  whom  the  Spy  referred  to  as  “the  human 
bloodhound.”  All  night  the  noise  continued  outside  the  hotel,  and 
the  excitement  reached  its  climax  when  a pistol  was  seen  in  Butman’s 
hand.  At  three  o’clock  in  the  morning  a complaint  was  made  to  Judge 
Howe  that  Butman  was  carrying  concealed  weapons,  and  he  was 
brought  to  court  the  next  morning,  charged  with  that  offence. 

He  faced  a larger  and  angrier  crowd  in  the  court  room  than  he  had  the 
previous  night,  and  he  was  so  thoroughly  frightened  that  he  appealed 
to  City  Marshal  Baker  for  protection.  The  Marshal  took  him  to  his 
own  office  in  the  Court  House,  and  left  him  while  he  went  outside  to 
speak  to  the  waiting  mob.  Then,  again  to  quote  the  Spy’s  vivid  ac- 
count, “six  or  seven  colored  men  broke  in  and  dealt  Butman  a blow  on 
the  knowledge  box  which  felled  him  to  the  ground.”  The  Marshal 
returned  in  time  to  prevent  further  injury  to  the  deputy.  One  of 
Butman’s  assailants  was  locked  up,  but  as  soon  as  the  Marshal  went  out 
again,  the  negro  jumped  out  of  the  window,  a distance  of  twelve  feet, 
and  landed  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd.  This  was  only  an  added  excite- 
ment. 


47 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


George  Frisbie  Hoar  came  out  and  spoke  to  the  crowd; 

Fellow  citizens:  It  is  some  ten  years  ago  that  my  father  and  sister  were 
driven  out  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  by  an  infuriated  mob  of  slaveholders 
because,  in  obedience  to  a commission  issued  by  the  authority  of  the  state  of 
Massachusetts,  he  had  gone  thither  to  test,  in  the  courts  of  the  United  States, 
the  validity  of  those  laws  under  which  they  imprison  our  citizens  for  no  crime 
but  the  color  of  their  skins;  and  none  of  you,  I think,  will  accuse  me  of  having 
any  great  sympathy  for  slaveholders.  It  is  gratifying  to  see  such  a feeling  of 
indignation  manifested  against  any  individual  whose  acts  have  rendered  him 
odious  in  your  eyes — but  yet  I trust  none  of  you  have  come  here  to  do  him 
any  personal  violence.  Even  in  Charleston,  low  and  degraded  as  the  majority 
of  citizens  are,  some  persons  were  found  to  maintain  the  majesty  of  the  law; 
and  to  their  interference,  my  father  and  sister  owed  the  preservation  of  their 
lives.  Let  it  not  be  said  of  us,  citizens  of  Worcester,  that  we  have  less 
respect  for  law  and  order  than  was  manifested  by  them.  Let  us  all  remember 
that  the  cause  we  all  have  so  much  at  heart  cannot  but  suffer  if  we  engage 
in  acts  of  violence  against  the  obnoxious  and  odious  individual  who,  whatever 
may  have  been  his  past  course,  assures  me  that  he  came  here  with  no  intention 
of  molesting  a slave.  Believing  that  your  sentiments  upon  this  subject  are  in 
unison  with  mine,  I have  ventured  to  assure  Mr.  Butman,  in  your  behalf,  that 
he  may  depart  from  the  city  unmolested  and  in  peace;  and  I have  offered  to 
accompany  him  to  the  depot,  so  that  he  may  leave  by  the  earliest  train. 

The  earnestness  of  Mr.  Hoar,  and  the  high  regard  in  which  everyone 
held  him,  kept  the  men  quiet  while  he  spoke,  but  at  the  sight  of  Butman, 
they  burst  forth  again,  and  made  a rush  for  him  as  Senator  Hoar  led 
him  out.  Violence  and  mob  rule  seemed  sure.  Butman,  white  with 
terror,  could  hardly  move  a step,  so  roughly  did  the  crowd  press  in 
upon  him.  Before  any  one  realized  what  was  happening,  Stephen 
Foster  had  stepped  up  and  taken  Butman’s  other  arm.  Then  Martin 
Stowell  and  Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson  and  some  other  equally 
influential  men  surrounded  him  in  a body  guard.  If  the  mob  injured 
their  victim,  they  would  have  to  assault  also  men  whom  they  respected 
and  loved.  Moreover,  the  “protection  given  by  these  friends  of 
liberty  to  the  person  of  this  cringing  coward,  whose  supposed  business 
they  loathed”  was  an  inspiring  act. 

But  the  progress  to  the  station  was  slow.  Six  hundred  men  started 
from  the  Court  House  in  the  wake  of  Butman  and  his  noble  defenders. 
Some  shied  stones  or  other  missiles  at  him,  and  twice  there  was  a com- 
plete halt  while  the  Worcester  police  helped  free  the  fugitive  from  the 
clutches  of  some  determined  negro. 

To  make  matters  worse,  the  train  had  gone.  The  crowd  at  the 
station  numbered  at  least  a thousand,  and  the  situation  was  becoming 
more  difficult  every  minute.  Stephen  Foster  ventured  out  on  the 
platform,  and  assured  the  crow'd  that  Butman  had  promised  never  to 
come  to  Worcester  again,  and  urged  them  to  let  him  go  in  peace.  But 
the  mob  made  no  move  to  disperse.  “ At  length  a hack  was  procured  by 
order  of  the  Marshal,  and  into  it  the  poor,  abject,  debased,  degraded, 
and  trembling  white  fugitive  was  hustled,  and  the  Reverend  Mr.  Hig- 

48 


NATIONAL  ATIENAHH! 


The  Inhabitants  of  WORCESTER  and  its  vicinity,  are  respectfully  in- 
formed that  a 

Select  Company  of  Artists  from  Boston,  ^ 

Have  leased  the  above  Hall  for  a short  period,  for  the  purpose  of  producing 
a series  of  sterling  Dramas  by  the  most  approved  authors,  commencing  i 

^^ednesday  Eve’g  next,  May  26 1 S^' 

J^The  pubhc  may  rest  assured  that  pieces  will  be  produced  in  a superi- 
or manner,  with  all  necessary  appointmeots,^orthy  the  patronage  of  an 
enlightened  conununity. 

“‘'Treasurer.'  - ' - - - - Mr  wright,**' 

The  SCENERY  by  - Mr  ROBERT  JONES. 

Subject  of  the  Act  Drop,  “The  Toweb  op  Lowdoh,’*  painted  for  the 
Mechanics’  Fair  and  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  best  efforts  of  this  tal- 
ented artist.  


ORCHEBTKA, 


Messrs  MEYERS,  CLARK  A PATTERSON 


Wednesday  ETening,  May  SG, 

WiU  be  performed  femes  Sheridan  Knowles’  oelebreted  plsy,  in  5 acts,  of  the 


Master  Walter, 

Sir  Thomas  Clifford, 
Lord  Tinsel, 

Modus, 

Fathom, 

Wilford, 

Stephm, 

Williams,  < - 
Julia, 

Helen, 


Mr  McFarland 
Mr  Smith 
- Mr  Keacb 
Mr  Spear 
Mr  Vincent 
Mr  Dunn 
Mr  Ring 
Mr  Aiken 
Miss  Gann 
Mrs  Vincent 


During  the  Evening  the  Orchestra  will  perform,  several 

Marches,  Waltzes,  and  Popular  Airs. 

^0“  No  perft^ance  will  exceed  11  o’clock. 

Doors  open  at  7 l-2t  Pef^ortnance  to  commence  at  8 o'clocm 

APHIISSIOM  2B  OEMTS. 

To  be  had  at  the  principal  Book  Stores  during  the  day,  and  at  the  Hall  du- 
ring the  Evening. 

OHEOKS  MOT  TRANSrBiiABI.B. 

J^NOTICE. — Persons  ar  requested  not  to  deliver  any  article  for  the 
Atheneeum  without  an  order  signed  by  the  Director  or  Treasurer. 

In  Rehearsal,  Sir  Edward  Lytton  Bulwer’s  beautiful  play,  called  the 

1®-LADY  OF 

ii—mfri  I II  III 

From  the  original  in  the  collection  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

OLD  HANDBILL 

This  announced  the  first  theatrical  performance  given  by  professional  actors  in  Worcester. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


ginson  took  a seat  by  his  side.”  The  crowd  jeered  until  they  were  out 
of  sight,  and  so  ended  the  “ Butman  Riot.” 


LECTURE  BY  d'HACKERAY 

l^ecember  12, 

William  Makepeace  Thackeray’s  visit  to  Worcester  is  thus  described 
in  the  National  ^gis,  December  19,  1855. 

The  Course  of  lectures  before  the  Lyceum  commenced  last  Wednesday. 
Mr.  Wm.  Thackeray  gave  the  introductory.  He  is  the  author  of  “The  New- 
comes,”  which  has  been  published  in  Harper^s  Magazine. 

His  subject  was  George  HI.  Mr.  Thackeray  is  a stout,  healthy  looking  man 
with  a red,  good  natured  looking  face,  slightly  round  shouldered,  and  when 
reading  his  manuscript,  looks  as  though  he  stooped  a little,  and  didn’t  care  if 
he  didn’t  look  well.  He  holds  his  sheets  in  his  hands  and  reads  from  them  in 
had  style,  sometimes  pronouncing  a sentence  so  quickly  that  it  is  difficult  to 
understand  its  meaning.  He  observes  no  rules  for  punctuating,  so  mixing  up 
and  running  together  sentences,  that  the  periods  are  not  discoverable.  For 
instance,  he  was  giving  a picture  of  the  family  of  George  HI,  and  speaking 
particularly  of  the  Queen  and  Princess  Amelia  as  they  appeared  when  walking 
in  the  garden,  when  he  spoke  something  in  this  way: 

“The  King  and  Queen  were  together,  the  Princess  Amelia,  of  whom  the  King 
was  very  fond,  when  not  being  led  by  him  ran  a little  ahead.  In  1810  George 
HI  ceased  to  live.” 

There  is  no  systematic  arrangement  of  the  discourse.  It  was  as  if  he  was  in 
company  with  ladies  and  gentlemen,  leading  in  conversation,  because  most 
familiar  with  the  topics  discussed,  and  answering  questions  of  various  persons, 
on  characters  and  customs  of  the  time— rambling  from  one  point  to  another.  . . . 

Thackeray  is  popular  just  now.  His  entertainments  are  fashionable — in 
the  very  “tip-top”  of  fashion,  and  he  gets  an  enormous  price  for  reading  his 
papers.  His  style  is  original,  and  that’s  why  he  is  popular.  No  other  public  . 
speaker  reads  as  he  does, — or  ought  to, — and  it  is  something  new.  The 
world’s  people  are  after  novelty.  Thackeray  brings  a supply  of  the  present 
wants.  And  he  brings  his  wares  to  a paying  market. 

d'HE  OPENING  OF  PIPER’S  THEATER 

February  g.  18^7 

The  story  of  the  drama’s  struggle  for  acceptance  as  a welcome  insti- 
tution in  Worcester  life  is  as  amazing  now  as  it  is  amusing.  That 
“publick  stage  plays,  interludes  and  other  theatrical  entertainments, 
not  only  occasion  great  and  unnecessary  expenses  and  discourage  indus- 
try and  frugality  but  likewise  tend  generally  to  increase  immorality, 
impiety  and  a contempt  of  religion,”  was  so  firmly  believed  by  the  lead- 
ing men  of  the  town — as  well  as  of  every  town  in  New  England — 
that  any  effort  to  introduce  public  amusements  of  any  kind  met  violent 
opposition.  There  was  an  Act  passed  in  1750,  which  provided  that 
“if  any  person  or  persons  shall  be  present  as  an  actor  in  or  a spectator 


50 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


of  any  stage  play,  etc.,  in  any  house,  room,  or  place  where  a greater 
number  of  persons  than  twenty  shall  be  assembled  together,  every 
such  person  shall  forfeit  and  pay  every  time  he,  or  they,  shall  be  present 
as  aforesaid  five  pounds.”  Such  stringent  curtailment  of  recreation 
is  not  surprising  for  that  early  time,  since  household  tasks  were  then  so 
numerous,  constant  industry  so  necessary  for  the  very  maintenance  of 
life,  and  religious  principles  so  severe.  But  it  took  sixty  years  for  the 
prejudices  thus  established  to  be  overcome,  and  the  building  of  a thea- 
ter to  be  a matter  of  public  approval. 

In  1787,  a schoolmaster  named  Brown  had  his  pupils  act  Addison’s 
“Cato.”  The  amateurs  gave  a successful  performance,  although  no 
costumes  were  used.  Ten  years  elapsed  before  the  next  company 
made  its  appearance.  In  1797,  Mr.  Hogg,  late  from  the  Boston  Thea- 
ter, informed  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Worcester  (in  the  advertise- 
ment columns  of  the  Spy)  “that  the  hall  over  the  schoolroom  is  fitted 
up  for  the  purpose  of  representing  some  select  and  most  admired  of 
dramatic  pieces,  a musical  entertainment — The  Waterman,  a dramatic 
romance  in  one  act  called  The  Oracle  or  Daphne  and  Amintor,  the  whole 
to  conclude  with  a pas  de  deux.  Doors  open  at  6J/9?  performance  begins 
at  73/9-  Front  seats  3^.  Back  seats  2s.  8^/.”  Whether  the  attendance 
was  creditable  will  never  be  known.  The  Spy  has  no  account  of  it, 
nor  of  any  of  the  plays  given  that  week  the  actors  remained  in  town. 
“ Like  Master,  like  Man  ” and  “ The  Shipwrecked  Mariner,  with  singing 
by  Mr.  Hogg”  were  among  the  offerings. 

After  their  departure,  for  many  years  the  serious-minded  townsmen 
had  their  way,  although  an  occasional  circus  and  now  and  then  a mov- 
ing diorama  or  a freak  exhibited  at  a hotel  drew  the  more  lax  members 
of  the  community.  Barnum’s  first  venture  as  a showman — Joice 
Heth,  aged  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  years,  the  nurse  of  George  Wash- 
ington— could  be  seen  at  the  Railroad  House  for  twenty-five  cents, 
in  1825. 

On  Nlay  16,  1832,  the  Spy  contained  this  paragraph: 

The  Selectmen  have  licensed  a company  of  strolling  actors,  calling  themselves 
Circus  Riders,  to  exhibit  their  fooleries  here.  We  presume  that  in  giving  their 
consent,  the  Selectmen  had  no  idea  of  encouraging  vice  or  dissipation  or  of 
acting  in  opposition  to  the  well-known  wishes  of  a majority  of  their  constitu- 
ents. Who  does  not  know  that  no  one  gets  any  good  of  attending  such  exhibi- 
tions.^ That  by  going,  he  encourages  idleness,  cruelty  and  vice.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  this  is  the  last  time  we  shall  be  troubled  with  such  unwelcome 
visitors  and  that  our  Selectmen  will  in  future  be  careful  not  to  lend  their  aid  in 
encouraging  them  to  come  among  us. 

A play  called  “The  Reformed  Drunkard,”  supposedly  of  highly  moral 
purpose,  was  objected  to  in  1846,  and  in  June,  1847,  when  a regular 
theatrical  company  called  The  National  Athenaeum  came  from  Boston 
to  play  at  Brinley  Hall  for  a run  of  three  weeks,  a controversy  began 
which  lasted  for  the  next  ten  years.  There  were  always  some  people 
who  were  broad-minded  enough  to  patronize  the  performances,  and 
who  really  enjoyed  them:  the  newspaper  reports  of  the  plays,  byway  of 

51 


f 


COLLEGE  REGATLA  ON  LAKE  QUINSIGAMOND  IN  i86i 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


defending  them,  kept  emphasizing  the  decorous  behavior  of  the  audi- 
ence, the  high  tone  of  the  morals  set  forth  in  the  plots,  and,  in  general, 
assuring  the  readers  of  the  innocence  of  the  amusement,  instead  of  prais- 
ing the  actors.  But  still  some  people  could  not  with  clear  consciences 
countenance  such  pastimes. 

From  1851  to  1854,  a hall  in  Flagg’s  Block  was  the  scene  of  many 
pretentious  offerings  by  versatile  actors,  and  under  the  auspices  of  such 
influential  men  as  Dr.  John  Green,  founder  of  the  Public  Library,  its 
entertainments  were  well  attended.  Mrs.  Beissenherz  and  Mrs. 
George  Barnett  were  leading  ladies  whose  repertoire  included  Shake- 
speare, as  well  as  a long  list  of  highly  melodramatic  roles.  A public 
hearing  had  to  be  held  to  determine  whether  Noah  F.  Gates  of  Lowell, 
who  was  the  manager  in  1853,  could  have  his  license  renewed.  Alfred 
Dwight  Foster,  Rev.  Alonzo  Hill  and  W.  R.  Hooper  spoke  against  it, 
and  it  is  probable  that  especially  the  younger  generation  of  Worcester 
citizens  applauded  Dwight  Foster,  Dr.  O.  Martin  and  Dexter  Parker, 
who  urged  that  the  license  be  granted.  It  was  granted  provided  that 
no  one  under  eighteen  years  of  age  should  be  admitted. 

Denman  Thompson,  of  “Old  Homestead”  fame,  appeared  early  in 
the  Worcester  Dramatic  Museum,  as  it  was  called,  “playing  anything 
and  everything  besides  dancing  hornpipes  and  fancy  dances  between 
the  acts.”  “Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin”  was  the  last  piece  to  run  in  the 
Flagg  building.  While  the  question  of  renewing  the  license  was  again 
raising  a storm  in  the  City  Council,  the  hall  was  destroyed  by  fire 
on  one  of  the  coldest  nights  of  the  year.  Scenery,  costumes,  properties 
— everything  was  lost.  There  were  many  who  believed  it  was  the  work 
of  an  incendiary. 

Piper’s  Theater  was  on  Front  Street  opposite  the  City  Hall.  It  was 
built  by  William  Piper.  Boyden  and  Ball  were  the  architects.  Its 
opening  on  February  9,  1857,  marked  the  end  of  any  strong  opposition 
to  the  theater  as  a part  of  the  city’s  recreation  and  education.  It 
represented  Worcester’s  entrance  into  an  era  of  conscious  social  pleas- 
ure. The  spirit  of  it  had  been  in  the  City  for  many  years — for  the 
gatherings  in  Flagg’s  Hall  had  been  brilliant  and  enthusiastic,  and  the 
Lyceum  lectures  drew  crowds. 

The  play  on  the  opening  night  was  “Ingomar.”  An  address  of  wel- 
come written  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Thaxter  was  recited  by  Miss  Mary  Hill 
(Mrs.  Thaxter).  In  the  cast  were  Wyzeman  Marshall  of  Boston  as 
Ingomar,  Miss  Hill  as  Parthenia,  Messrs.  Beck,  Stanton  and  Taylor  as 
the  Three  Citizens  of  Massalia,  and  Charles  Wilkinson  as  Lykon.  The 
last-named  actor  was  already  well  known  to  many  of  the  audience. 
He  had  attended  school  in  Worcester  and  had  given  parlor  entertain- 
ments in  Brinley  Hall.  He  also  acted  that  evening  W.  W.  Clapp’s 
farce  “My  Husband’s  Mirror.”  Wyzeman  Marshall  was  the  manager 
of  the  company  as  well  as  a talented  actor,  and  when  the  season  closed 
he  was  tendered  a complimentary  benefit  by  prominent  men.  A.  H. 
Bullock,  Henry  Chapin,  Charles  Devens,  Rejoice  Newton,  J.  D.  Wash- 
burn, J.  E.  Estabrook  and  Adin  Thayer  are  listed  among  his  patrons. 

53 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


THE  FIRST  OF  THE  COLLEGE  REGAl’EVS  OX 
LAKE  QLTXSIGAMOXD 

J lily  26,  iSsQ 

A holiday  spirit  took  possession  of  Worcester  when  the  crews  from 
three  colleges  and  their  exuberant  retainers  arrived  for  this  regatta. 
Since  1842,  boat  racing  had  been  a part  of  college  athletics,  but  1859 
was  the  first  year  that  Lake  Quinsigamond  had  been  the  course  for 
such  a contest. 

The  Lincoln  House  was  the  headquarters  of  the  men  from  Yale  and 
Brown  L niversities,  while  the  Harvard  crews  stayed  at  the  Bay  State 
House.  “Our  streets,”  said  the  Spy,  “were  filled  with  college  students, 
not  pale  and  attenuated  with  midnight  studies  and  early  prayers,  but 
rosy-faced,  muscular,  nervous  young  men,  who  enjoy  life.” 

The  races  were  held  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  crews  were  to  start 
from  below  the  bridge,  row  to  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  a mile  and  a 
half  away,  turn  the  stake  boat  and  return.  The  choicest  places  for 
seeing — the  bluffs  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  and  the  shore,  on  a line 
with  the  boat  which  marked  the  finish — were  sought  out  early  in  the 
morning  by  the  first  of  the  thousands  of  people  who  kept  crossing  the 
bridge  all  day.  Peddlers  of  banners,  fruit,  candies  and  drinks  went 
hurrying  along  with  the  crowd,  or,  from  carefully  selected  points  of  van- 
tage, hawked  their  wares. 

The  weather,  which  had  been  doubtful,  became  clear,  as  the  boat 
containing  the  judges,  the  newspaper  reporters  and  referee  left  the 
W orcester  shore  and  was  rowed  to  the  head  of  the  course,  at  half-past 
four.  Then  cheers  greeted  the  crews  as  they  left  their  tents  and  took 
their  places.  There  were  four  six-oared  sculls — Harvard  having  en- 
tered two — and  each  was  named.  Numbering  from  the  shore  oppo- 
site the  Worcester  side,  they  had  these  positions: 

1.  Yale’s  boat — “The  Yale” — the  color  of  Spanish  cedar. 
Its  crew  were  clad  in  light  blue  pants,  silk  shirts  and  light  blue 
scull-caps. 

2.  Brown’s  boat — “The  Atalanta” — light  straw-color.  Uniforms: 
checked  gray  pants,  salmon  silk  shirts,  blue  skull-caps. 

3.  Harvard — “The  Harvard” — a pine-color  boat  whose  rowers  wore 
blue  pants,  white  shirts  and  red  handkerchiefs. 

4.  “The  Avon”  of  Harvard — white  with  a green  stripe,  which  set 
off  distinctly  the  figures  of  the  men  in  it.  Clad  in  black  pants, 
white  shirts  and  handkerchiefs  and  green  ribbons. 

They  all  made  a splendid  start  when  the  pistol  sounded,  but  before  the 
stake  boat  was  turned,  it  was  evident  that  the  victory  would  go  either 
to  Harvard  or  to  Yale.  Not  in  spurts,  but  slowly,  “The  Harvard” 
worked  ahead,  and  reached  the  finish  in  19  minutes  18  seconds — only 


54 


WAR  HAS  BEGUN  IT 


GimWAR! 

THE  WORST  OF  ALL  WARS. 


OUR  FLAG  HAS  BEEN  FIRED  UPON  AND  OUR  tORTS  CAPTURED. 

ODR  MH0JAL  CAPITAL 

THBEATINEI  IITH  INYAEION. 


The  people  of  Massachusetts  are  insulted  with  the  threat  that  they  shall 

sDiell  the  powder  aad  feel  the  steel  of  the  Secessionists;  that 
the  flag  of  RebeUton  »haU  he  hoisted  over  the  €)radle  of  Motherly! 

PATRlU'i^ 

lAlll!  TDARMS! 

Enrol  and  Drill  Yonr  Men. 

Be  True  to  tbe  Spirit  and  Biood  of  yonr  Ancestors ! 

RESPOND  WITH  PROMPTNESS  TO  THE  CALL  OF  YOUR  COUNTRY. 


CBAS.  H4MILTOB.  CALOBIC  rBUTTVE,  PALLADIA7M 


erricc,  woarMTeit. 


From  the  original  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society 

CIVIL  WAR  POSTER 

Issued  in  Worcester  soon  after  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter. 


i 

ji 

j 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


a little  ahead  of  “The  Yale.”  This  time  did  not  equal  Harvard’s 
record  in  the  Beacon  races,  which  had  been  19  minutes  ii  seconds. 

Shouts  of  rejoicing  and  excitement  echoed  about  the  lake.  For 
Harvard,  it  meant  that  this  was  one  more  year  for  it  to  boast  that  its 
navy  had  never  been  defeated.  The  philosophic  reporter  of  the 
^gis  remarked  in  his  story  of  the  race,  “Seconds  are  small  things  in 
themselves,  but  in  this  instance  a couple  of  them  gave  a year’s  pride  to 
a whole  college.” 

The  victors  rowed  to  the  grandstand,  on  the  shore  near  the  finish 
line,  and  received  the  blue  and  white  silk  pennant  marked  “College 
Regatta  1859.”  The  captain  of  the  boat  made  a graceful  speech  as  he 
accepted  it. 

As  the  people  started  for  the  trains  and  for  their  carriages,  which 
were  waiting  along  the  road  and  in  the  groves,  it  started  to  rain.  The 
downpour  scattered  the  crowd  in  all  directions  and  turned  the  colorful 
procession  crossing  the  bridge  into  a rush.  The  trains  on  the  Boston 
and  Worcester  Railroad  supplied  very  good  service,  and  somehow  every 
one  was  taken  care  of. 

The  next  day  was  Yale’s  day.  “The  Yale”  was  at  the  stake  boat 
twenty  seconds  ahead  of  “The  Harvard.”  The  other  two  boats  did 
not  enter  the  race,  so  the  narrowing  of  the  contest  to  these  two  rivals 
made  the  last  half  of  the  course  much  more  exciting.  Yale  won  by 
about  two  boat-lengths  and  the  prize  was  one  hundred  dollars.  The 
second  day  of  the  regatta  was  arranged  in  compliment  to  the  college 
crews  by  the  City  of  Worcester.  Its  citizens  donated  the  prize,  and 
arranged  a four-oared  race  and  one  for  single-oared  sculls,  in  which 
some  famous  oarsmen  appeared. 

Chess  matches  between  the  colleges  rivaled  the  boat  racing  in  the  col- 
lege men’s  interest,  while  they  were  in  Worcester.  In  the  evenings,  and 
in  the  afternoons  when  they  first  arrived,  regular  games  between  rep- 
resentatives of  Brown,  Harvard  and  Yale  were  played. 

A Worcester  boy  named  William  C.  Wilson,  though  only  seventeen 
years  of  age,  and  a farmer  who  “came  from  pitching  hay  to  try  his 
wits  against  those  of  the  college  experts,”  played  blindfolded,  and  won 
from  Harvard. 

With  the  exception  of  the  years  of  the  Civil  War,  these  college  re- 
gattas were  held  in  Worcester  until  1870. 

\\VA.L\)M\\  A\)  'IHK  'hROOPS  RF/hrRXIXC  FROM  dHK 

CIVIL  WAR 

July  4,  i86s 

Worcester’s  first  quota  of  three  hundred  soldiers  for  the  Union 
army  was  ready  one  week  after  the  requisition  was  made.  Fort  Sum- 
ter was  taken  on  April  12,  1861.  On  the  19th,  the  anniversary  of  the 
Battle  of  Lexington,  Worcester  men  were  marching  in  Washington. 
The  public  buildings  and  the  stores  on  Main  Street  had  brightly  col- 

56 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


ored  banners  waving  in  farewell  and  encouragement,  but  Worcester 
hearts  were  sad.  Hurried  weddings,  solemn  Sunday  services  with  war 
always  the  text  of  the  preacher,  industrious  and  prayerful  folding  of 
bandages,  packing  of  little  comforts,  anxious  waiting,  and  frantic  grief 
• — Worcester  people  had  their  share  of  these  during  the  four  years  of 
Civil  War.  So  the  Fourth  of  July  in  1865  was  a day  of  unsurpassed 
rejoicing  by  the  whole  city. 

“It  was  decided  that  the  celebration  should  combine  two  distinct 
parts — first,  an  ovation  to  the  returned  soldiers,  and  second,  a grand 
procession  exhibiting  the  industrial  pursuits  and  resources  of  the  city.” 
The  Committee  of  Arrangements  included  Mayor  Phineas  Ball; 
Harrison  Bliss,  E.  C.  Cleveland,  William  E.  Starr,  George  R.  Peckham, 
Salisbury  Hyde  and  William  Mclvor  of  the  City  Council;  and  James 
B.  Blake,  J.  D.  Daniels,  Henry  A.  Marsh,  Alzirus  Brown,  John  S. 
Baldwin,  Lucius  W.  Pond  and  George  Sumner. 

The  parade  of  the  soldiers  formed  on  Park  Street  at  half-past  nine 
in  the  morning,  and  marched  through  Alain  Street,  Highland,  Harvard, 
Chestnut,  Elm,  West,  Pleasant  and  Alain  Streets  to  Lincoln  Square. 
A countermarch  on  Alain  Street  brought  the  procession  to  Mechanics 


From  a photograph  Worcester  Historical  Society  collection 

WORCESTER  GUARDS  IN  CAMP 

George  H.  Ward  was  in  command  of  these  soldiers  whose  tents  and  uniforms  were  hardly  as 
practical  as  the  ones  used  in  the  World  War. 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


Hall,  where  the  city’s  complimentary  breakfast  to  the  soldiers  was 
served. 

Lavish  expense  of  money  and  labor  had  made  the  streets  veritable 
ways  of  triumph.  An  enormous  arch  crossed  Main  Street  at  Harring- 
ton Square.  “The  Heart  of  the  Commonwealth  greets  the  Defenders 
of  the  Union,”  it  read  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other,  “All  Honor  to  our 
Gallant  Army  and  Navy.”  The  names  of  battlegrounds  familiar  to  the 
returned  soldiers  were  listed  on  it.  There  was  a memorial  arch  draped 
with  black  opposite  the  Post-Office,  and  a rustic  arch  at  School  Street. 
The  arch  opposite  Stephen  Salisbury’s  house  on  Highland  Street  bore 
the  mottoes  “To  be  Free  is  to  be  Strong”  and  “Reap  the  Fields  your 
\ alor  Won.”  On  Harvard  Street,  Joseph  Chase,  Esq.,  had  erected  one 
with  the  sentiment  “Your  Valor  and  Your  Devotion  have  saved  the 
Flag— Thanks!” 

IMany  other  messages  of  welcome  had  been  arranged  on  arches  or 
pennants  by  various  citizens  and  business  houses.  A few  of  the  most 
prominent  ones  which  greeted  the  heroes  as  they  marched  with  flowers 
in  their  hands  were: 

Soldiers,  you  have  Crushed  Treason,  Ended  the  Rebellion,  and  Saved  the 
Country — Welcome ! 


Welcome  the  Returned — Victory! 
Remember  the  Fallen — Peace! 


Grant,  Sherman  and  Sheridan. 
Farragut,  Porter  and  Dupont. 


Sound  the  loud  cannon,  let  every  flag  fly! 
Remember  forever  the  Fourth  of  July! 


The  Peaceful  Arts  sustained  by  Patriot  Arms  defended. 


America’s  Debt  to  her  Citizens  she  can  pay — that  to  her  Soldiers,  never. 


America  lives  though  many  of  her  Noble  Sons  have  died  to  save  her. 


The  Union  saved.  Slavery  destroyed  by  the  Brave  Boys  in  Blue. 


Honor  to  those  who  are  not  afraid  to  die  for  their  Country. 


The  Nation  shall  under  God  have  a New  Birth  of  Freedom. 

58 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


From  a photograph  Kindness  of  Benjamin  Thomas  Hill 

MAIN  STREET  IN  1865 

As  it  was  decorated  for  the  welcoming  of  the  troops  returning  from  the  Civil  War. 


The  arch  erected  by  George  Crompton,  Esq.,  opposite  his  loom  works  on 
Green  Street,  was  pronounced  by  many  who  saw  it  the  neatest  of  any  in  the  city. 
It  was  thirty  feet  high,  thirty-two  feet  wide,  and  draped  with  evergreen,  and 
arranged  with  mottoes,  wdth  a very  handsome  representation  of  the  Goddess  of 
Liberty  over  the  top  of  the  arch.  The  goddess  was  of  the  Classic  days,  with 
staff  and  cap  and  shield,  with  light  drapery  of  blue  with  silver  stars. 

In  the  procession  itself  there  were  representations  of  “The  Union” 
by  thirty-six  young  ladies,  each  as  a State;  The  Goddess  of  Liberty; 
“ The  Pen  and  the  Sword  ” ; and  Peace  through  Victory. 

Two  long  vehicles — the  boat  sleigh  “Challenge”  of  the  Worcester 
Horse  Railroad,  and  a long  omnibus — both  appropriately  decorated 
with  flags,  and  evergreen,  and  banners,  bore  the  disabled  soldiers. 
The  mottoes  on  the  boats  were  “Any  Sacrifice  for  the  Republic  is 
cheerfully  made”  and  “Our  Limbs  are  lost,  but  our  Country  is  saved.” 

A faded  flag  which  had  floated  above  the  head  of  Farragut  on  his 
flagship  “Hartford”  at  Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip  was  borne  by  the 
naval  heroes. 

Men  from  every  Worcester  County  regiment  were  in  line,  and  there 
was  impartial  applause  for  each  section  as  it  went  by. 

Thousands  of  school-children  cheered,  and  sang  patriotic  songs,  and 
waved  flags  as  the  parade  passed  through  Main  Street. 

59 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


There  was  great  excitement  “when,  as  the  procession  arrived  at  Me- 
chanics Hall,  a beautiful  American  flag  was  seen  suspended  over  Main 
Street,  several  hundred  feet  in  the  air,  gaily  fluttering  in  the  breeze, 
and  brilliantly  illuminated  by  the  noonday  sun.  It  was  attached  to 
the  string  of  a kite,  which  some  patriotic  youth  had  flown,  and  was  a 
beautiful  and  thrilling  sight.” 

In  the  afternoon  came  another  parade — the  Trades’  Representa- 
tions. Nearly  all  important  enterprises  were  represented,  and  the  pro- 
cession was  more  than  two  and  a half  miles  long,  occupying  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  in  passing  a given  point.  |' 

The  entire  procession,  besides  the  Fire  Department,  included  one  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  teams,  drawn  by  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  horses,  and 
twenty-six  oxen.  Notwithstanding  the  length  of  the  procession,  and  its  un- 
wieldy character,  there  was  no  delay  or  confusion.  It  moved  promptly  on 
time,  and  no  accident  of  moment  occurred  on  the  route.  This  grand  success 
reflected  great  credit  upon  the  committee,  and  especially  upon  the  Chief 
Marshal,  Hon.  James  B.  Blake. 

The  Fenian  Brotherhood,  about  three  hundred  strong,  made  their  first 
appearance  in  uniform  caps,  bearing  the  United  States  and  Irish  flags. 

The  Young  Men’s  Benevolent  and  Total  Abstinence  Society,  an  organiza- 
tion of  boys,  made  its  first  appearance,  numbering  two  or  three  hundred  mem- 
bers. The  German  Turners,  German  Singing  Society,  Father  Mathew  Tem- 
perance Society,  and  American  Hibernian  Society, — the  last  headed  by  a per- 
son playing  a Scotch  bagpipe, — were  all  in  full  ranks,  and  several  of  them  car- 
ried splendid  silk  banners. 

The  trade  representatives  were  preceded  by  an  emblem  of  industry — 
“two  enormous  straw  beehives  around  which  bees  were  hovering,  and 
surrounded  with  flowers,  all  extremely  lifelike  and  natural.” 

At  night,  the  arches  were  illuminated,  and  the  throngs  of  people 
walked  about  admiring  them  and  watching  displays  of  fireworks. 

The  Fourth  of  July  in  Worcester  history  had  many  times  before 
marked  the  celebration  of  some  other  event  besides  its  own  anniversary, 
as  these  pages  have  shown.  But  for  fervor  and  unanimous  participa- 
tion, there  was  no  greater  rejoicing  there  than  on  July  4,  1865. 


LYXDh:  BROOK  DAM  SY  KPT  AWAY 

March  iSy6 

When  760,000,000  gallons  of  water  are  threatening  to  rush  forth  in  a 
torrent  at  any  minute,  there  cannot  be  much  peace  in  a city  only  five 
miles  away. 

The  Daily  Spy  of  IMarch  30th  announced  that  great  difficulty  was 
being  found  in  draining  off  the  surplus  water  which  spring  rains  had 
poured  into  the  reservoir  at  Lynde  or  East  Brook,  in  Leicester.  It  also 
pointed  out  that  a leak  had  been  discovered  in  the  archway.  The 
threatened  danger  caused  great  agitation  in  Worcester.  Citizens  made 

60 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OE  WORCESTER 


I 

! 


THE  LYNDE  BROOK  DAM  DISASTER 


From  a print 


U oTcester  Historical  Society  collection 


The  path  torn  out  by  the  water  when  it  burst  the  dam’s  walls. 


i 

( their  way  with  hundreds  of  others  to  stand  on  the  hillsides  and  watch 
j the  slow  battle  with  the  water.  To  stop  a break  which  had  already 
been  worn  between  the  upper  gate  house  and  the  rollway,  men  were 
throwing  in  bags  of  stones  and  pine  trees  they  cut  down.  The  people 
whose  homes  were  near  the  dam  started  moving  their  furniture  to  places 
of  safety,  and  as  the  day  passed,  the  engineers  knew  that  only  a miracle 
could  keep  the  excess  water  from  bursting  the  walls.  The  Spy’s  extra, 
depicting  scenes  at  the  aqueduct  and  the  probable  result  if  it  gave  away, 
created  great  apprehension  on  the  streets  of  Worcester. 

Just  at  six  o’clock  on  the  evening  of  March  31st  the  suspense  which 
had  lasted  twenty-four  hours  w^as  ended.  “The  sight  as  the  spiling 
wall  gave  away,”  says  the  Spy  reporter,  “was  terrifically  grand. 
Those  who  witnessed  it  will  never  forget  it,  and  never  care  to  view  a 
similar  scene.  The  water  rushed  down  the  ravine  in  a solid  mass 
twenty  feet  high,  whirling  and  rushing  at  the  same  time,  and  the  roar 
; was  terrible.  First  in  the  line  of  the  onsweeping  flood  was  the  stone 
waste  gate  house.  When  the  flood  struck  this,  it  tottered.  Then  the 
keystone  of  the  arch  dropped  out.  A corner  of  the  building  next  gave 
away,  followed  by  the  wooden  roof,  which  was  swept  onward  until 
drawn  into  a whirlpool,  when  it  was  crushed  to  hatchwood,  and  thrown 
into  the  air.  The  gate  house  was  tipped  over  bodily,  and  not  even  a 
stone  of  it  has  since  been  seen. 


61 


HISTORIC  EVENTS  OF  WORCESTER 


“Down  through  a narrow  ravine  lOO  feet  wide  and  one  mile  long  the 
flood  swept  on.  The  sides  were  gullied,  fairly  dug  out  clean,  in  an  in- 
stant, for  fifty  feet,  until  the  edge  of  the  embankment  was  almost  per- 
pendicular. Through  the  pine  woods  on  one  side  of  the  ravine,  the 
waters  tore.  The  largest  trees  were  twisted  around  like  straw's,  pulled 
up  by  the  roots,  and  carried  onward  down  the  decline.” 

After  destroying  the  fine  home  of  George  Olney  which  stood  in  its 
path,  when  it  reached  the  Leicester  road,  it  surged  on  tow^ard  Cherry 
V'alley.  People  of  Janesville,  Stoneville,  Leesville,  New"  Worcester 
and  South  Water  w'aited  that  night  for  the  arrival  of  the  rushing  flood, 
not  know'ing  just  w'hen  it  w'ould  come  or  how'  it  would  leave  their  houses 
and  mills.  With  mills,  particularly,  the  w'ater  worked  mischief  as  it 
w'ent  along.  The  brick  building  of  A.  J.  Smith  and  Company’s  w'oolen 
mill  it  demolished  as  completely  as  it  did  the  wooden  one  of  A.  E.  Smith. 
The  boiler  of  the  Ashw'orth  and  Jones  mill,  one  of  the  best  in  the  country, 
w"as  carried  off,  and  it  exploded  loudly  several  times  and  threw'  a stream 
of  w"ater  high  in  the  air,  as  if  in  protest. 

When  the  ‘Svater  mountain”  reached  a railroad  it  ripped  out  ties 
and  rails  and  twisted  them,  and  the  harm  it  did  to  the  bed  of  the  Boston 
and  Albany  Railroad  was  very  costly. 

The  Crompton  Carpet  Mill  at  South  Worcester  suffered  only  a slight 
flooding  of  its  basement,  but  the  Wicks’  Manufacturing  Company, 
across  the  stream  from  it,  had  seven  large  looms  destroyed. 

At  Quinsigamond,  the  w'ater  rose  high  enough  to  threaten  the  stone 
arch  bridge,  but  about  midnight  it  subsided  there.  At  Millbury,  the 
old  road  into  Worcester  w'as  not  so  badly  w'ashed  but  that  it  could  be 
repaired  the  next  day. 

Lynde  Brook  Reservoir,  w'hich  since  1865  supplied  Worcester  with 
w"ater,  w'as  left  completely  dry.  In  five  hours  its  w"aters  had  w^rought 
^'53 19,000  W'orth  of  damage.  A new'  aqueduct  w'as  completed  in  ^^lay, 
1877,  w'hile  Clark  Jillson  w'as  mayor. 


62 


OFFICERS 

OF 

THE  WORCESTER  BANK  & TRUST  COMPANY 


1922 


WILLIAM  D. 
JOHN 

V ice-Presidents 
SAMUEL  D.  SPURR 
CHARLES  A.  BARTON 
BERTICE  F.  SAWYER 
WARREN  S.  SHEPARD 


LUEY.  Chairman  of  the  Board 
E.  WHITE,  President 
ALVIN  J.  DANIELS,  Treasurer. 

FREDERICK  M.  HEDDEN,  Secretary 
HARRY  H.  SIBLEY,  Assistant  Treasurer 
CHARLES  F.  HUNT,  Assistant  Treasurer 
BURT  W.  GREENWOOD,  Assistant  Treasurer 


FREDERICK  A.  MINOR,  Auditor 


Trust  Department 

SAAIUEL  H.  CLARY,  Vice-President  and  Trust  Officer 
FREDERIC  C.  CONDY,  Assistant  Trust  Officer 

Directors 


HERBERT  P.  BAGLEY  . . 
EDWIN  N.  BARTLETT  . . 
ERNEST  P.  BENNETT  . 
GEORGE  F.  BLAKE  .... 
CURTIS  R.  BLANCHARD 
GEORGE  F.  BROOKS  . . . 
ALEXANDER  H.  BULLOCK 
DeWHT  CLINTON  .... 

JOHN  H.  COES 

A.  OTIS  DAVIS 

ALEXANDER  DeWITT  . . 

T.  H.  GAGE 

GEORGE  A.  GASKILL  . . 
HENRY  JEWEIT  GREENE 
JAMES  N.  HEALD  .... 
CHARLES  H.  HUTCHINS  . 
ALBERT  H.  INMAN  . . . 
WILLIAM  D.  LUEY  . . . 
CHARLES  F.  MARBLE  . . 
CLINTON  S.  MARSHALL  . 
PAUL  B.  MORGAN  .... 
ARTHUR  E.  NYE  .... 

EDGAR  REED  

GEORGE  I.  ROCKWOOD  . 
WM.  H.  SAWYER,  ]k.  . . 
lOHN  C.  STEWARIL  . . . 
HARRY  G.  STODDARD  . 

E.  KENT  SWIFT 

FORREST  W.  TAYLOR  . . 
CHARLES  M.  THAYER . . 
GEORGE  M.  THOMPSON  . 
REGINALD  WASHBURN  . 

lOHN  E.  WHITE 

MATTHEW  J.  WHITTALL 
SAMUEL  B.  WOODWARD 
ARTHUR  O.  YOUNG  . . . 


White  & Bagley  Co. 

Edwin  Bartlett  Co. 

Manager  Royal  Worcester  Corset  Co. 
George  F.  Blake,  Jr.,  & Co. 

Capitol  Lunch  System 

Harrington  & Richardson  Arms  Co. 

Bullock  & Thayer 

Treas.  Worcester  Gas  Light  Co. 

Pres.  Wore.  Mechanics  Savings  Bank 
Davis  & Brown  Woolen  Co. 

Kinnicutt  & DeWitt 
Smith,  Gage  & Dresser 
Pres.  People’s  Savings  Bank 
Insurance 

Treas.  Heald  Machine  Co. 

Retired 

Pratt  & Inman 

Chairman  of  the  Board 

Treas.  Curtis  & Marble  Alachine  Co. 

Mgr.  Am.  Steel  & Wire  Co. 

Pres.  Morgan  Construction  Co. 
Alarble-Nye  Co. 

Pres.  Reed  & Prince  Vlfg.  Co. 
Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 

Treas.  W.  H.  Sawyer  Lumber  Co. 
Stewart  Boiler  Works 
Vice-Pres.  Wyman-Gordon  Co. 

Whitin  Machine  Works 
Real  Estate 

Thayer,  Smith  & Gaskill 
Wickwire,  Spencer  Steel  Corp. 

Pres.  Wire  Goods  Co. 

President 

Carpet  Manufacturer 

Pres.  Wor.  Co.  Inst,  for  Savings 

Pres.  Claflin-Sumner  Coal  Co. 


63 


Date 


qd 

3475  12 


BOSTON  COLLEGE 


9031  01564094  9 


WORCiSTER  BANK 


Boston  College 
Libraries 

Chestnut  Hilh  Mass.  02167 


